Ellis Island
Ellis Island, New York Harbor
New York Harbor
The great gateway where millions of immigrants first set foot in America, its grand hall restored as a museum in New York Harbor, reached by ferry from the New Jersey shore.
Ellis Island was the busiest immigration station in the history of the United States, the gateway through which millions of people entered the country in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its grand main building, with a soaring vaulted Registry Room, has been restored as a museum that tells the story of American immigration, and it stands in New York Harbor within New Jersey waters, reached by ferry from the New Jersey shore.
For a great share of Americans, Ellis Island is a place of personal history, the spot where a grandparent or great-grandparent first set foot on American soil, was examined, questioned, and cleared to enter. Walking its halls, tracing family names in its records, and standing in the room where so many lives turned makes it one of the most moving historic sites in the country.
What Guests Love
- Standing in the vast Registry Room where millions of immigrants were processed
- Tracing family names and stories in the immigration museum and its records
- The ferry ride across the harbor with views of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline
- The powerful sense of connection for the many Americans whose ancestors passed through
Worth Knowing
- The island is reached only by the harbor ferry, which also serves the Statue of Liberty, so plan around the boat schedule
- Ferry tickets sell out on busy days, so book ahead, especially in summer
- Security screening at the ferry landing is airport-style, so allow time and travel light
- Seeing both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty makes for a full day, so pace accordingly
Details
New York Harbor
Learn about Ellis Island
The gateway to America
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.
The island's older story
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.
The museum today
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.
Planning your visit
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.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Jersey City
Statue of Liberty
A short ferry hop
The iconic statue on neighboring Liberty Island, served by the same harbor ferry, with a museum and pedestal views.
Liberty State Park
The New Jersey ferry landing
A large waterfront park in Jersey City with skyline views, a science center, and the ferry to the islands.
Jersey City waterfront
About 2 miles north
A revived Hudson River waterfront of parks and promenades with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline.