Ellis Island: what to see on the immigrants' island

What Ellis Island was and why it matters

Ellis Island was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. According to the sources, around 12 million people arriving at the Port of New York and New Jersey were processed there between 1892 and 1954, and one estimate suggests a large share of Americans today descend from them.

Since 1965 it has been part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, so a visit usually pairs with Liberty Island. If you are weighing one against the other, see Liberty Island or Ellis Island: which to pick (or both); for how the whole excursion fits together, read How to visit the Statue of Liberty.

The main building and the Registry Room

The essential stop is the northern half of the island, where the main building stands. It houses the National Immigration Museum, opened after a complete renovation finished in 1990, following years when the buildings sat neglected and were only partly reopened in 1976.

The heart of the route is the Great Hall, or Registry Room, where newcomers waited their turn for medical and legal inspection. Stop in the middle and look up. It is a vast space, quiet compared with what it once was, and it helps you picture the noise of thousands of people speaking dozens of languages.

To grasp what happened at each stage, follow the museum's exhibits in the order they are laid out: landing, inspections, and then the exit toward the ferry that took people on to New York or New Jersey.

The museum, the stories and the Wall of Honor

The exhibits bring together objects, photographs and accounts from people who came through: who they were, why they travelled, how much they dreaded the medical exam, and what happened to the few who were detained or sent back. The sources note that only a small percentage were deported, and that after 1924 the island was used mainly as a detention center.

Outside, on the north side, stands the Wall of Honor, carrying the names of immigrants and their families. It is a good place to pause and, if you are looking for an ancestor, a starting point; how to research one properly is covered in How to find your ancestors who arrived through Ellis Island.

Gallery hours, temporary exhibitions and open areas change over time, so check current information on the official U.S. National Park Service website before you go.

An island made of fill, and an odd split

What you see today is much larger than the original islet. From the late 19th century it was expanded with landfill into two halves of similar size shaped like a C, separated by what used to be a ferry slip. The sources mention that the fill is said to have come partly from ship ballast and excavated earth, though some of those origins are doubted.

There is also a fact worth sharing in the ferry line: in 1998 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the natural part of the island, in the north, is an exclave of New York, while the reclaimed land belongs to New Jersey. Some buildings even ended up straddling the state line.

The south side: the hospital you will not see on a regular visit

The southern half of the island, with the old immigrant hospital buildings, is not part of the standard museum visit. It can only be seen through special guided hard hat tours, which do not run all year. If that appeals to you, read The abandoned Ellis Island hospital: hard hat tour before deciding.

It is the lesser-known face of the island: people were not only registered here, they were also treated and isolated. Seeing it adds another dimension to what arriving meant.

Getting there and planning the visit

Ellis Island can only be reached by ferry. Boats leave from Battery Park in lower Manhattan and from Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Entry to the monument itself is free, but the ferry has a cost, and reserved access to the crown or pedestal is separate. Always check prices, schedules and availability on the official National Park Service pages and with the operators.

To decide how much time to set aside, think about how much history you want: someone reading the whole museum needs far longer than someone who only wants the Great Hall and a few photos. A full itinerary combining Liberty Island and lower Manhattan is in One-day itinerary: Statue, Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan.

Arrive early if you can, wear comfortable shoes, and expect security screening before boarding, as at the Statue of Liberty.