Ellis Island Immigration Museum

04/24/11

Lot of Effort for a Disappointing Attraction

by George Bryant

Even if your family didn’t come through Ellis Island, it’s neat to see the place where so many people arrived. That said, a lot of folks won’t think it’s neat enough to spend half a day when they’ve got limited time in New York. The museum takes a really schmaltzy approach to how hard the immigrants had it and how dramatic it was for them, but it doesn’t really change the fact that nothing that took place on Ellis Island was all that exciting. It was just a big processing center for the government bureaucracy. Worth it if you view this as Holy Ground because your family came through. Not worth it for others.

02/09/09

In a word (okay, several): AMAZING. Thought-provoking. Heart-wrenching.

by TheTripChick

We toured Ellis Island in January, so we did not get a good sense of how crowded it must have been when it was a processing facility for immigrants. However, it took just the smallest bit of imagination to put you right back there, in the thick of it.

There was an amazing amount of forethought that went into the space itself, such as being able to view the intake stairs going up from four sides to evaluate immigrants as patients on the fly. This and many other details just blew my mind when we toured the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. I would love to see it again soon, and perhaps sit down at their computers this time to research my family.

03/15/07

fascinating museum, with a boat ride too!

by nlnethery

this is a great museum to go to on a spring day because of the boat ride to Ellis Island. The tour really helped me imagine how my great-grandparents must have felt as they came in. The exhibits, including audio clips from immigrants, are fascinating. It's a full day's worth of entertainment and learning.

• Pros: great museum, interesting piece of history, boat ride

10/13/05

Enchanting Experience

by dotschild1

Take your time to wander about the majestic hall of this beautifully restored building. Share in the footsteps of past relatives and feel the sense of accomplishment they felt from just entering the glorious doors. People always say that history is an important lesson of the past but this museum allows you to reach out and touch a part of history that many people (within their own families) can relate to.

09/02/03

Very moving

by rudee

Although I'm not an American citizen (Canadian actually) I still found the Museum facinating. I highly recommend taking the free guided tour. Give youself at least 2-3 hours to see all the exhibits, or you'll surely miss out on something. I'd recommend you also see Ellis Island before you visit Liberty Island, as you will need plenty of time to take it all in.

• Pros: Free guided Tour