Just off the southern tip of Manhattan, this island and its grand buildings were the gateway to a new life in the USA for immigrants arriving between 1892 and 1954. It’s now the national immigration musuem after being restored in the late 1980s. Many orginal features remain so you get a real taste of what it would have been like to arrive as an immigrant and we thought it was fascinating. Access to the museum and island are free, but you’ll need to pay for a joint ticket with the Statue of Liberty cruises to get you there. This is an extract from our free New York City Guide.
The immigration hall at Ellis Island, New York
Inside the buildings on Ellis Island, a self guided tour operates over the three floors of the musuem. You’ll need to allow 2-3 hours to do the island justice and if you have a ticket for the Statue of Liberty too, you’ll need to allow lots of time to do both attractions, including getting from one to the other. Ranger guided tours are also available for free, but if you chose the audio tour, there is an charge of $8 (2012 prices). The ferry operator for both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is Statue Cruises. The first ferry from Battery Park is at 8.30am and the last ferry back is at 5.15pm and the adult cost is $13 (2012 prices) . The ferry trip is often included in other tour tickets too – for example if you take the New York Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour this includes the ferry trip to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty Island as does the New York City Pass.
The beautiful exterior of Ellis Island's main immigration building
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: National Immigration Museum, Ellis Island, New York, NY 10004
Tel: +1 212 363 3200
MORE ON ELLIS ISLAND
Hotels near Ellis Island in New York – Best price guarantee from Hotels.com
More hotels in New York – Massive discounts from Expedia
National Park Service - Official Website
New York Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour – includes the ferry trip to Ellis Island
New York City Pass – Includes the ferry to Ellis Island
EllisIsland.org
Wikipedia - Ellis Island page
Books on Ellis Island – Amazon.co.uk
This post is beyond awesome. I am always wondering what to do and what not to do in New York so I will follow some of these tips.