Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Ellis Island Immigration Museum
4.5
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Monday
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Tuesday
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Wednesday
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Thursday
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Friday
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Saturday
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
Sunday
9:45 AM - 4:45 PM
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Neighbourhood: Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
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- Keith NCheltenham, United Kingdom195 contributionsFascinating and informative museumUtterly fascinating museum in a building that oozes memories, hopes, dreams and disappointments. The story of how immigration has build modern-day USA is told effectively and sensitively with primary sources used to bring the story to life. The impact upon the Native Americans is not forgotten. There was almost too much to take in and I feel like I need to go back to finish it off.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 3 June 2024
- JemlnlxBronx, New York5,608 contributionsSo much history!Lovely museum with lots to see and learn. Be sure to plan your visit throughout the museum's three floors. Great exhibits displaying how immigrants were processed upon arrival through their release (or denial) into the US. The classic massive registration hall holds a lot of history and is a sight in itself. The registration lookup area contains computer terminals which you can reserve and use (for a $10 fee) where you can lookup those who have been processed there. There is a gift shop as well as a cafe in the museum.Visited June 2024Travelled with familyWritten 4 June 2024
- teknoge3kRocky Mount, Virginia1,801 contributionsHighlight of our NYC trip!We did the Hard Hat Tour to see the hospital along with the public areas of the museum. The Hard Hat Tour did not disappoint. It was FANTASTIC and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was amazing to see and know the history of Ellis IslandVisited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten 11 June 2024
- moraiaWest Hollywood, California270 contributionsPrivate hard hat tourWell worth taking the hard hat tour that takes you to the abandoned hospital. Our guide was great and the sight throws you back in time. Small groups only. Bonus:the hospital grounds are full of the well known JR french street artist pieces!Visited June 2024Travelled soloWritten 25 June 2024
- ldjsFort Lee, New Jersey838 contributionsRich immigration historyAmazing museum. Interactive, informative, full of amazing artifacts. Can spend a whole day there. Ellis Island experience is really well done and thought through. Lots of clever touches throughout the museum. The only significant downside preventing 5 star rating is slow and poorly organized ferry service. Ellis Island is a must visit for everyone who ever visited NYC.Visited July 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 29 July 2024
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4.5
3,185 reviews
Excellent
1,869
Very good
882
Average
309
Poor
99
Terrible
26
hrobinson1114
Nashville, TN5,786 contributions
Apr 2021
I don’t use the phrase “must do” often, but it applies to Ellis Island. If you browse my profile, you’ll see I’ve reviewed a lot of NYC attractions. This one is up at the top for me, along with AMNH and the Tenement Museum.
The island starts with magnificent views of Manhattan. Then the inside has a three story museum full of well done exhibits. The displays aren’t too wordy, so you don’t get overwhelmed. There are many direct accounts from immigrants. There is a an honest timeline about how immigration occurred in America, including colonization of native land.
The displays are large and beautiful and easy to read. The photos are from their archives, so you’re seeing real people with real stories. You learn who people are, why they came, and if they got to stay.
You get to see their personal effects/luggage. You see immigrants’ personal papers. You learn about the process for deciding if an immigrant stays. You learn about the medical exams they endured.
The architecture inside is gorgeous! And I recommend getting to the Island when it first opens and found there first, while everyone else goes to the Statue of Liberty. You can appreciate the vastness of the hall and take some great photos.
I also took the hard hat tour, run by “Save Ellis Island.” A regular ferry ticket is about 20 bucks. The hard hat tour is about 80. It’s worth it!
You get to see some of the partially restored parts (they call it arrested decay). The buildings are stabilized and cleaned up, but not restored to the extent of the main hall. There you see amazing architecture and can really FEEL what immigrants went through when they were sent to the island hospital. It was a small group, only seven of us, and the guide was knowledgeable and invested in the cause. Tons of info and great photo ops. There is also an art installation in the medical buildings by a French artist named JR.
The museum is a must see, and the hard hat tour makes it even better.
We are all immigrants.
The island starts with magnificent views of Manhattan. Then the inside has a three story museum full of well done exhibits. The displays aren’t too wordy, so you don’t get overwhelmed. There are many direct accounts from immigrants. There is a an honest timeline about how immigration occurred in America, including colonization of native land.
The displays are large and beautiful and easy to read. The photos are from their archives, so you’re seeing real people with real stories. You learn who people are, why they came, and if they got to stay.
You get to see their personal effects/luggage. You see immigrants’ personal papers. You learn about the process for deciding if an immigrant stays. You learn about the medical exams they endured.
The architecture inside is gorgeous! And I recommend getting to the Island when it first opens and found there first, while everyone else goes to the Statue of Liberty. You can appreciate the vastness of the hall and take some great photos.
I also took the hard hat tour, run by “Save Ellis Island.” A regular ferry ticket is about 20 bucks. The hard hat tour is about 80. It’s worth it!
You get to see some of the partially restored parts (they call it arrested decay). The buildings are stabilized and cleaned up, but not restored to the extent of the main hall. There you see amazing architecture and can really FEEL what immigrants went through when they were sent to the island hospital. It was a small group, only seven of us, and the guide was knowledgeable and invested in the cause. Tons of info and great photo ops. There is also an art installation in the medical buildings by a French artist named JR.
The museum is a must see, and the hard hat tour makes it even better.
We are all immigrants.
Written 17 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrés Blanco
Carteret, NJ737 contributions
Feb 2020
This was the first stop on our tour before visiting Liberty Island. This museum is very informative and rich in history. I would recommend this to anyone interested to know how the immigrant community in United States began to rise. Very clean facilities and friendly staff.
Written 15 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveller
New York City, NY3,303 contributions
Aug 2021
I visited the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in August 2021. It was a great and fascinating experience. The ground floor has a detailed exhibit on the history of immigration in the USA from the late 1500s to the late 1800s. This exhibit was very interesting and covered immigration from a variety of angles. The second floor had the Registration Hall. Between the second and third floors were exhibits on The Peak Immigration Years (1880-1924), photos of all the ships which brought immigrants to the USA, the Ellis Island Experience (dormitory, medical exams, case reviews, food and many other things). It was interesting how each immigrant was examined for Trachoma, a disease which causes blindness. There was also a section on how Ellis Island was restored and how the museum was created. On the ground floor was an area where you can do research on passengers. I paid $10 using a credit card for 30 minutes. The staff were very helpful. I was able to determine that my grandparents did not pass through Ellis Island. With my sister's help I was able to determine that my grandfather entered via Baltimore and my grandmother entered via Philadelphia. I also determined the name of the ships that brought them to the USA and the month and year of entry. I was not able to find a photo of the two ships on the second floor. I spent three hours at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and it was a great experience. I arrived at Ellis Island at 9:15 am and it was not very crowded. By 12:15 pm when I left for the Statue of Liberty it was very crowded. So I would recommend getting an early start.
Written 20 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Swiss Nomad
Lugano, Switzerland3,510 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Luckily we had some spare time during our visit to NY and decided to take a tour to the Statue of liberty and Ellis Island with state cruises.
The museum has been beautifully restored, it offers a comprehensive adventure starting from the beginning of the city's immigration history until the island was closed, explaining who arrived, what those people did for a living, how the city coped with the housing demand and so on.
Those stories were really inspirational to me, as they showed me that if you really want to improve your living conditions you have to take your chances and jump into the unknown.
Overall one of the best experiences of our 9-day trip.
The museum has been beautifully restored, it offers a comprehensive adventure starting from the beginning of the city's immigration history until the island was closed, explaining who arrived, what those people did for a living, how the city coped with the housing demand and so on.
Those stories were really inspirational to me, as they showed me that if you really want to improve your living conditions you have to take your chances and jump into the unknown.
Overall one of the best experiences of our 9-day trip.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter S
Warwick, UK1,192 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Visited Ellis Island after seeing the Statue of Liberty. Really interesting and insightful tour. You get the clear picture of how difficult it was for immigrants arriving in the US. To clarify that, if you were first or second class you didn’t bother with this. It was just for steerage, the poor people. At the museum you can read about the people that went through the process, you can see the tests they had to complete and the whole place is perfectly preserved.
Written 27 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brendan S
Arlington, VA2,151 contributions
July 2022 • Solo
I expected the Ellis Island visit to be mostly touring historical buildings. In fact, most of the buildings on the island are a dilapidated hospital complex that can only be toured on a special tour, and the main immigrant intake building that is mostly a shell, but houses a large immigration building. The first floor is the story of immigration to America. The second includes exhibits on the full immigration process at Ellis Island, and the third is about the history of Ellis Island and exhibits with immigration-related memorabilia (passports, ethnic clothing and trinkets, etc.). There are also thousands of photos and excerpts from diaries and interviews.
Because there’s little left of the building, which was abandoned and restored, there’s not much to see and tour as at a typical historic site. But a thorough visit of the museum could take all day, especially if you used the available audio guide or tried to read, see and listen to everything. It’s interesting and inspirational, since so many Americans can trace their families’ histories back to Ellis Island. But for that same reason, this immersive site can really suck you in for a lot longer than expected or planned.
Because there’s little left of the building, which was abandoned and restored, there’s not much to see and tour as at a typical historic site. But a thorough visit of the museum could take all day, especially if you used the available audio guide or tried to read, see and listen to everything. It’s interesting and inspirational, since so many Americans can trace their families’ histories back to Ellis Island. But for that same reason, this immersive site can really suck you in for a lot longer than expected or planned.
Written 4 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simina31
Bucharest, Romania1,169 contributions
May 2022
Fantastic museum which should not be skipped! So many people got off the ferry after they visited Liberty Island and this is just sad in my opinion. The museum offers a lot of information about American history, but also insights as to why people left their places of origin, and we enjoyed every part of it. Finding information, photos, passports, of people who left from our home country, Romania, was just the cherry on top.
Written 15 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank R
45 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Our visit to the island and museum was educational and emotional. I was particularly struck by the courage and hardship my ancestors experienced. I also was brought to tears by one section of the museum showing the extreme hatred and fear exhibited by the anti immigration factions in the very early 20th century peak years. This is a must visit trip and I hope to return.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
H M
New York City, NY36 contributions
Oct 2019
Highly recommend the free guided tour provided at the Museum. Helps understand what immigrants experienced coming into the US through Ellis Island. The ranger shared interesting stories and provided good context. Tour timing are posted at the entrance hall and at the information booth.
The cafe/ restaurant has a nice outside patio to have a relaxing meal or coffee while taking in the sights of lower manhattan
The cafe/ restaurant has a nice outside patio to have a relaxing meal or coffee while taking in the sights of lower manhattan
Written 27 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Merlin K
Chester, NJ111 contributions
Mar 2020
The Save Ellis Island Hard Hat tour is an incredible look into the history of this country. We have been meaning to do this for quite a few years but my mother visiting from the UK gave us the push to do it. And it was certainly everything we hoped for.
Our guide, Fred, was clearly a majored with the reclamation project and passionate about the things that are being found. The two hours flew by. With a group of about 15 people we had time to ask questions and look around. There was no feeling of being rushed. It gave a real feel of what it was like and the hardship the immigrants had to cope with.
I will be back to do the photography tour. But even with the group I had the time to get some good photos - the amazing light through dingy windows just adds to the atmosphere. A photographers dream.
Our guide, Fred, was clearly a majored with the reclamation project and passionate about the things that are being found. The two hours flew by. With a group of about 15 people we had time to ask questions and look around. There was no feeling of being rushed. It gave a real feel of what it was like and the hardship the immigrants had to cope with.
I will be back to do the photography tour. But even with the group I had the time to get some good photos - the amazing light through dingy windows just adds to the atmosphere. A photographers dream.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi! Did you do the Hard Hat Tour with another tour with a guide or did you just ride the ferry over and do the HHT? Wondering if both tours would be too much. Want to see the new museum on Liberty Island and then visit Ellis Island. Did the HHT tickets let you skip the lines?
Written 25 July 2019
Hi. Sorry, I don't do the Hard Hat Tour. I didn't have time. I just did the audio tour of the main immigration areas of Ellis Island.
The new museum at Liberty Island was good - no lines to skip as it's just an open space to wander around.
Hope that's useful.
Written 25 July 2019
How do I go about booking this "Hard Hat" tour that I have been reading about? Does it take the place of a "regular" tour or is it in addition?
On this same note - where is the best place for a "country mouse" family of five to stay if we wanted to do Frozen one night and then Ellis Island the next day. We seriously live on a farm and have very little "city" knowledge....
Written 3 December 2018
You can book the hard hat your through the statue of liberty, national parks, website. It is where you buy the ferry ticket also.
If you want to stay at a hotel in the city but not too busy, I've found staying between the high twenties and mid thirties (streets) to be convenient for walking and public transportation.
Written 4 December 2018
Quante ore ci vogliono per visitare la statua della libertà e il museo dell'immigrazione ? Giusto per pianificare la giornata grazie
Written 17 July 2018
Giovanna dipende dal periodo, ad agosto le file saranno lunghissime, ti consiglio, dato che sarai sotto fuso orario, di andare subito il primo giorno molto presto, fare il biglietto on line dall'Italia (solo traghetto 18$, con piedistallo 25,5$, con piedistallo
e corona 28,5$) io li ho acquistati tramite il sito statueoflibertytickets Se fai i Pass cittadini (più attrazioni a minor costo che convengono molto) è compreso solo il traghetto che ti consente comunque di scendere sull'isola e fotografare da sotto la statua e lo skyline di Manahattan e poi di fermarti ad Ellis Island (che è la cos in assoluto più interessante con le audioguide gratis ottime) ma se ci sei io ti consiglio quantomeno la visita al piedistallo che contiene il museo della statua (come è stat costruita con i vari prototipi e la prima fiaccola installata molto interessante per me) per la corona io ho preferito passare perché essendo un po' claustrofobica dicevano che era molto stretta e di circa 350 scalini ma mia figlia si è molto indispettita di non salire. se arrivi presto con biglietti fatti e scegli piedistallo + ellis islan con 4 ore la fai ma non facendo fila, se fai la fila il tempo non è quantificabile. sono a disposizione se serve Alessandra
Written 23 July 2018
Hola,
Hay que comprar los boletos con anticipacion? o llegando ahi? que recomiendan? a que punto exactamnte en Manhhatan hay que llegar?
Gracias
Written 30 April 2018
El boleto de ferry por el que se llega a la Estatua de la Libertad y Ellis Island se pueden comprar anticipadamente por internet o directo en Castle Clinton (Battery Park)
Written 1 May 2018
Bonjour, je souhaite simplement visiter le musée à Ellis Island, y a il un ferry qui s'y rend directement sans savoir s'arrêter et payer pour?
Written 17 April 2018
As far as I know there is only a paying ferry that goes to Ellis Island. The tickets are $18 each, but you are not required to pay anything else once you are there, and you can stay until the last ferry at 5.30pm
Written 19 April 2018
What is the best day of the week to see this attraction? I very much want to go. I’m thinking of spring or summer. Thank you
Written 27 January 2018
We went early on a Saturday morning in the fall. You could tell it was getting busiest throughout our time there. I think earlier is more important than what day. It is always busy but even with that I didn't feel overwhelmed.
Written 27 January 2018
Quali sono gli orari di visita del museo?
Quanto può durare in media una visita?
Written 5 December 2017
ciao a tutti, scusa per il ritardo della risposta. il mio consiglio è: prenditi tutto il tempo, prenota per tempo la salita sulla corona, si prenota e si paga a parte, non il giorno stesso ma qualche giorno prima, sono più di 300 scalini ma ne vale la pena, ellis Island secondo me deve essere visitata in modo consapevole, consiglio di andare a vedere l'ospedale storico per rendersi conto delle sofferenze che gli italiani hanno patito all'inizio del 900 con l'emigrazione... oggi gli immigrati sono trattati benissimo ... noi eravamo trattati in un modo che qui non posso definire .... posso dire malissimo ma non spiega tutto. goffredo
Written 19 December 2017
Bonjour.
Dois je absolument descendre à la statue liberty avant de rejoindre ellis island le musee ou puis je rester a bord et être sure de ne pas faire demi tour????
Written 2 October 2017
Puedes bajar en Estatua de la Libertad, recorrer sin subir, (esto se reserva casi con un año de antelación la Subida a la misma) y luego vuelves a tomar el Ferry que llega uno cada pocos minutos y visitar Isla Ellys. Realmente para no perdersela. Te llevará recorrerla bien unas dos. La Isla Ellys solamente. Otras 2 horas, la Estatua como minimo. Tu determinas donde te bajas. En nuestro caso, en ambos lugares.
Written 23 October 2017
Bonjour. Combien de temps faut il prévoir pour la visite du musée s'il vous plaît?
Merci. Cordialement.
Written 21 September 2017
bonjour, il faut compter 2 heures au moins car il y a le musée et la promenade extérieure avec une très belle vue sur Manhattan
Written 25 September 2017
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