Over 40 percent of current U.S. citizens can trace at least one ancestor to an arrival at Ellis Island.
The island was expanded through land reclamation projects using landfill from New York City subway excavations.
The Registry Room, or Great Hall, was once the largest public space in New York City.
During World War II, parts of the island were utilized as a detention center for enemy aliens.
The site was closed to the public from 1954 until the 1990 restoration project.
Medical inspectors used chalk to mark immigrants' clothing with codes indicating potential health issues for further screening.
The museum houses the 'American Immigrant Wall of Honor', which features names of families who passed through the station.
The first immigrant processed at the station was a 15-year-old girl named Annie Moore.
Ellis Island serves as the historic gateway for over 12 million immigrants who entered the United States between 1892 and 1954. The site now operates as a comprehensive immigration museum housing the American Family Immigration History Center. The building features original architectural elements from the Main Building’s baggage room and the Great Hall. Exhibits document the administrative processing, medical screenings, and legal hearings conducted during the island's peak operational years. Visitors can access a database containing records of passengers arriving at the port of New York. The site is located in New York Harbor and is administratively part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. It remains a focal point for genealogical research and the study of American migration patterns.
The view of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty from the island's southern seawall.
Prioritize visiting the third-floor exhibits to understand the medical examination process.
Use the onsite computer kiosks to search for passenger ship arrival records.
Dress in layers, as the historic building's climate control varies and outdoor ferry decks are breezy.
Do not rush through the museum exhibits to catch an early return ferry; the deep-dive history requires significant time.
Open daily except for December 25th.
Maintain a respectful, quiet demeanor within the Great Hall as it is considered a site of memory.
