Ellis Island Immigration Museum

02/09/09

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

by hubriis

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.

12/13/04

Three floors of thoughtfully curated exhibits present an awe-inspiring look at America's immigrant past.

by Contributor

Overview
Between 1892 and 1954, more than 12 million immigrants queued up on Ellis Island for the chance to set foot on U.S. soil. Their passage through New York harbor is now memorialized in this beautifully renovated station, whose bright, two-story Registry Room is awesome to behold. The unique American Family Immigration History Center offers an opportunity to trace ancestors using actual ship records.

Features
Set aside a few hours to tour the museum (and to deal with the long lines to get there). "Through America's Gates" walks you through the stages immigrants followed from their first step off the boat to their passage to the mainland. "Peak Immigration Years" displays photos, posters, advertisements and naturalization papers to show how 20th-century "greenhorns" became assimilated into American culture. For the nostalgically inclined, "Treasures From Home" reveals clothing, linen, silverware and other mementos imported by immigrants from around the world.

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

03/11/03

A wonderful experience!

by suziecurliecue

When I walked through the whole place, I could feel all the emotions that had went on in there. It is so cool to go outside and look at the immigrants that came to America and to find the immigrants having the same last name as you. I went on a band trip during spring break in 2002. It is a good place to go if you like history.

• Pros: Inexpensive, Good parking, Not crowded

12/25/02

You must be joking

by apbryant

Lines are horrendous. Takes forever to get out to the island. You'll freeze your ass off while you are there.

Skip this and buy a book. There is hardly anyhting to see in that museum except photos.

• Cons: cold, boring, time consuming

10/03/02

the gateway to a new begining

by travelinms

absolutely takes your breath away, puts you in the shoes of the immigrants taht made our country is what it is today.An awesome and humbling experience.

• Pros: outstanding exhibits, beautiful view, great giftshop

08/09/02

very engaging for all ages

by SophiaNY

Touching, educational look at the roots of many of us from New York, and America.

07/28/02

Thank you, Grandma...

by wr552

Wow! What a moving experience! Anyone who has ancestors who came through Ellis Island should visit here. I highly recommend taking the free guided tour (report to the information desk). It lasts about 45 mins. and added immeasurably to the trip. Our guide treated us as if we were immigrants and brought us to various parts of the building, making sure we were aware that our ancestors followed that very route. It was very moving to me to trace the steps of my beloved grandmother. The exhibits are fascinating and you can eat off the floors. One caveat, though: bring a sweater--the temperature in the building was so low, you could have hung meat!! Don't miss this museum!

• Pros: Deeply moving
• Cons: Ill-advised, placement of, research computers.