Ellis Island

The federal government opened an immigration station on Ellis Island in 1892, and over the following decades it processed the great waves of immigrants arriving by ship, especially from southern and eastern Europe. Newcomers were brought from the steamships to the island for medical inspections and legal questioning before being admitted to the country.

The vast majority were cleared and went on to build new lives, though some were held for further examination and a small number were turned back, which gave the island a bittersweet nickname as both the island of hope and the island of tears. The station's busiest years came in the early 1900s, and it processed arrivals for decades before finally closing in the 1950s.

Long before the immigration station, the waters and shores of the harbor were part of the homeland of the Lenape people, whose descendants today include the Lenape communities of the region. The small island was used over the centuries for many purposes, and much of it, along with the harbor around it, lies within New Jersey.

The island as visitors see it today was expanded over the years with landfill to make room for the sprawling complex of the immigration station, including hospital buildings where sick arrivals were treated. Its jurisdiction between New Jersey and New York was long disputed, and a court ruling confirmed that most of the enlarged island lies within New Jersey.

After the station closed, the buildings fell into decay before a major restoration reopened the main building as a museum of immigration. The centerpiece is the great Registry Room, or Great Hall, the vast vaulted space where arrivals once waited in long lines to be processed, now empty and echoing and deeply evocative.

The museum's exhibits trace the whole sweep of American immigration, from the ships and the inspections to the lives immigrants built afterward, drawing on photographs, artifacts, and personal stories. Visitors with family who passed through can search records to find their ancestors' names, adding a personal thread to the larger history.

Ellis Island is reached only by the harbor ferry, which departs from Liberty State Park in Jersey City on the New Jersey side and from Battery Park in Manhattan. The same ferries serve the Statue of Liberty on nearby Liberty Island, so most visitors see both on one trip, which makes for a full day.

Ferry tickets sell out on busy days, especially in summer, so booking ahead is wise, and security screening at the landing means allowing extra time and traveling light. The New Jersey side, with its parking and open waterfront at Liberty State Park, is often the easier and calmer place to board.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Ellis Island, in New York Harbor and reachable by ferry from Liberty State Park in New Jersey, is the historic gateway through which millions of immigrants entered the United States, now a moving museum of immigration. For decades, Ellis Island was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station, where countless newcomers took their first steps toward new lives in America, and today the beautifully restored main building houses a superb museum telling the story of immigration, the immigrant experience, and the peopling of the nation. It is a place of deep meaning for the many families whose ancestors passed through. A profound and moving historic site, it educates and touches visitors. With its immigration history, Ellis Island offers a compelling destination.

Ellis Island is important because for decades it was the primary gateway through which millions of immigrants entered the United States, making it a powerful symbol of the immigrant experience and the diverse peopling of the nation. For a great many American families, an ancestor passed through Ellis Island on the journey to a new life, and the site honors their courage, hopes, and hardships. The museum tells this story with depth and humanity. Understanding this history deepens a visit to Ellis Island.

You can tour the beautifully restored main immigration building, including the great registry room where immigrants were processed, explore exhibits on the immigrant experience and the history of immigration, trace family histories through records, and take in the harbor setting. The historic building, the moving exhibits, the registry room, and the connection to countless family stories are the draws, offering a deeply meaningful experience. Many visitors find a personal connection to the history. With its museum, Ellis Island offers a rewarding visit reached from New Jersey.

Ellis Island is reached by ferry, with a main New Jersey departure point at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, and the ferry typically also serves the Statue of Liberty. Because the ferries run on a schedule and tickets are popular, checking current ferry and ticket information and booking ahead before you go are wise, and allowing plenty of time to experience both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is helpful. Planning your ferry trip ahead ensures a smooth visit to Ellis Island from New Jersey.

Ellis Island is in New York Harbor, reached by ferry from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, within reach of the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Science Center, and the New Jersey and Manhattan waterfronts. That makes Ellis Island a compelling stop to combine with Liberty State Park and the Statue of Liberty on a visit to New Jersey.