Ellis Island
Ellis Island
4.5
Historic SitesPoints of Interest & LandmarksHistory Museums
09:00 - 16:00
Monday
09:00 - 16:00
Tuesday
09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday
09:00 - 16:00
Thursday
09:00 - 16:00
Friday
09:00 - 16:00
Saturday
09:00 - 16:00
Sunday
09:00 - 16:00
About
Visitors can retrace the steps of their ancestors at this famous landing point that welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States.
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Neighbourhood: Ellis Island
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  • ClareNic77
    Hadlow, United Kingdom202 contributions
    Really interesting
    We found the museum really interesting and regretted that we hadn’t allowed a bit more time for the visit. The museum is engaging with information being presented in a variety of ways. I had no idea about the scale of migration to NY, an eye opener.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 December 2022
  • TRAVELwTEENS
    Florida4 contributions
    Your teens will love the “Through America’s Gate” exhibit
    After taking the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, we travelled across to Ellis Island. I thought we would be there max 30 minutes but the teens actually enjoyed it. In particular, they were captivated by the Through America’s Gate exhibit on the second floor. It showed via photos and artefacts the step by step process that immigrants were taken through to qualify for citizenship or be deemed an “undesirable alien” and face deportation. This included a medical examination, legal examination and potentially a hearing of special inquiry. The exhibit highlighted the living conditions, and the raw emotion of the immigrants in a very vulnerable time of their lives. The teens also enjoyed the Research Center where we found the immigration records for a great grandfather who landed on Ellis Island in 1914. Ellis Island captures the beautiful diversity of ethnicity and culture of immigrants entering NY whilst also acknowledging mistakes of the past. A must see.
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 January 2023
  • Julie H
    3 contributions
    great tour but be aware of security check at ferry port
    I love Ellis Island and I never get fed up of going there to take in all the history. WARNING when we were getting on the ferry to go over to the island you have to go through the security and they asked us to take off our watches. As we were about to board I went to look at the time and screamed omg my watch I left it at the security. It was an expensive RADO watch. I rushed back and said I left my watch and they pulled out a large bag of watches so obviously a lot of people do it. I said its an expesive gold and white gold rado and I just this minuet left it here it will not ne in that bag, with that an officer pulled my watch out of his top pocket and said is this it? they are onto a good thing believe me. You have to put it into a dish as you do at the airports and with the hussle of moving you along to fill up all the gaps etc its quite easy to forget. I dont know why you have to remove your watches as they didnt ask for the removal of any other jewerly so please be careful. Ellis Island though is a must visit if in NY. I LOVE IT
    Visited March 2022
    Written 10 February 2023
  • Traveler260961
    1 contribution
    Memorable
    It's occured 15 years ago, but I still dream to return. During these 15 years, I became myself an immigrant to Canada, and in this way I familiarized with certain difficulties of immigration. So' I guess you can understand it better with your immigration experience. In spite of the fact that the Ellis Island is saturated with ideology, which I detest as a phenomenon, I love it. And I'll come back soon, with my children.
    Visited March 2022
    Written 17 February 2023
  • Annette p
    Scappoose, Oregon82 contributions
    Not to be missed
    We had tickets that took us to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The real winner here was Ellis Island. So many fabulous things to see! We did the free audio tour and really enjoyed it. Spent a lot more time here than we thought we would and it was well worth it.
    Visited February 2023
    Written 27 February 2023
  • Sarah F
    32 contributions
    Hard Hat Tour
    I thoroughly enjoyed the Hard Hat Tour, which takes you around the abandoned Ellis Island hospital, otherwise not open to the public. Cheryl, our tour guide, was great, and clearly has an enthusiasm for this unique place. There are very few sites like this left in New York, so it’s rare to find something not restored, knocked down or developed. The buildings are fairly vast and it’s easy to imagine the stories of the patients here. There are old photographs projected onto the walls as part of an art installation, and this, together with information from Cheryl, really helped to bring this forgotten place to life again. Highly recommended!
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 12 April 2023
  • Arthur M
    Hamilton, Canada1,038 contributions
    What a comprehensive exhibit dedicated to immigration!
    The exhibits are totally informative from the beginnings of immigration from Europe to the modern day immigration from around the world and their challenges and pushback from Americans. The hall upstairs looks pretty iconic too even though it is not actively in use, it still looks pretty grand to me! A lot of people only go to Liberty Island and only see Ellis Island as an afterthought, but it in itself is New York's iconic sites as well!
    Visited April 2023
    Written 18 April 2023
  • Lalo765
    San Antonio, Florida301 contributions
    Loved the Island - hated the ferry experience
    I cannot recommend the ferry experience, which was absolutely horrible (reviewed at Statue City Cruises) however, Ellis Island is well worth it - if only there were some other way of getting. The exhibits are well done and interesting. The arrival building has been stunningly restored - so impressive. There are beautiful views of the Statue of Liberty and and Manhattan from the waterfront behind the museum.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 April 2023
  • Lonnie G
    45 contributions
    Worth the stop!
    Nice place to visit and hang out. Spent time int he facility and exhibits but also enjoyed having a bite to eat and resting in the park like setting. Facility should get 5 stars. Excellent. Prepare to spend alot of time waiting on the ferries. Not enough running and you will spend much of your day in line. Ferries get 1 star.
    Visited June 2023
    Written 23 July 2023
  • Siena
    43 contributions
    Our history and today’s issue
    Great experience, very educational. 2 hours just fly by. So much to observe. As We are facing immigration issues today, we can all revisit here Ellis island to see how our country was formed and know what your great grand parents experienced. Be educated, be smart and compassionate. My 18 years old daughter spend much time just learning how USA formed by immigrants from all over the world. She says what she learned in school finally connected, and able to deepen her understanding of this country. After visit here, you can go back to Manhattan with fresh pair of eyes to see everyone’s life and being. Wished cafeteria offers different types of food, commemorate different ethnic foods.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 30 August 2023
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4.5
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Megan
New Zealand6 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Would highly recommend the hard hat tour! We got to see the hospital where people were cared for on the island. Irwin was our guide and he was really great. Had so much passion and a personal connection to the island. His knowledge was awesome, he gave us a great overall rundown of the island and afterwards we did a tour of the museum but Irwin had covered most of it in the tour!
Written 4 November 2023
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.

Kdawg282
Doylestown, PA1,302 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Stop by a see it once after visiting the Statue of Liberty. A quick visit to scroll through some of the grounds and info is all you need unless you have history here from your family that you want to look into yourself. I enjoyed the visit but most of my family came other means, no need to spend a ton of time here.
Written 3 November 2023
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.

SylviaTourstein
1,209 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Stepping into the Ellis Island Museum is a step into history. This is a very emotionally engaging place to visit. The pictures are not always joyous and neither are the tales. Be prepared with an open mind and open heart. Kids also may get bored of all the walking as there are lots of words and explanations. There are some interactive places where kids can pull back windows to learn facts. Our favorite was the music wall and to see how much American music has been influenced by the songs and instruments of other countries. Look out the windows. The museum provides curious views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. Take a moment to enjoy the scenery and reflect on the historical significance of the place. Take your time. There is a lot of historical information.
Written 1 November 2023
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.

Erin J
3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
I was with my 76 year old mother and 14 year old son so I wanted to be sure we had a pleasant experience and were not waiting in line like cattle for too long. We booked the Pedestal and Ellis Island hard hat tour for a Monday morning (the first hard hat tour is offered at 11:30). We arrived to Battery park at 08:30 as suggested on the tickets. There was already a long line and when I showed our tickets with the timed entry the staff member said it did not matter what time was on the ticket, to just wait in line with everyone, I still do not understand the purpose of the timed tickets? We did manage to get on the 09:00 ferry but we were among the last to get on that first boat. Despite feeling very crowded on the boat, walking up to the pedestal and around the statue of liberty did not feel overcrowded. When I asked a park attendant how much time we should allow to get to Ellis island he recommended the 10:35 ferry to Ellis Island and to start waiting in line at 10:20. I am glad we did this as the ferry to Ellis Island was very full (many guests coming from NYC did not get off the ferry at the statue of liberty meaning less space for those guests trying to get from the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island). I imagine that later in the day or on an even more crowded day you might have to wait for a 2nd ferry so do keep that in mind with timing. I would have liked to explore more around the Statue of Liberty but there was not time for that. We arrived to Ellis Island at 10:55 and checked in for our hard hat tour (signing some papers) and were told to be back at 11:25. We had a quick bit at the cafe as the tour is 90 minutes and there is no food allowed nor bathrooms available. The tour was amazing and well worth it, very informative and interesting, both my mom and my son enjoyed it very much and the 90 minutes flew by. It was a beautiful day but I imagine it could be quite cold on a rainy or windy day so be prepared. When the tour was over we noticed that there was already a large line for the ferry back to NYC. We did not want to wait to get back to NYC as we had plans for the late afternoon so we did a 10 minute run around the immigration museum and then got in line for the ferry. My mother and son were content, however I would really have loved time to explore the museum. It is a shame that you feel stressed to get the ferry knowing that you may have to wait standing ni line for another 25 minutes for another boat if you are not able to get on the next one and I wish they had a better system for reserving times instead of cramming everyone in.
I also do not understand the ticketing system. You have to buy separate tickets for the Pedestal/Crown and for the Hard Hat tour so if you do both, you are buying 2 x the ferry from Battery Park to the Statue fo Liberty? There should be a way to buy the ferry then add on the tours as they are sold on the same City Experience website?? One of the top tourist attractions in NYC (one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world) and they have not figured out a better way to sell tickets or make the entire experience smoother?!
Written 29 October 2023
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.

andrewm752017
Glasgow, UK3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
This review is more a warning to visitors to New York
We arrived in New York last week (15 October) and really wanted to get to Ellis Island.
We tried!!!
We took the subway own to south ferry and when we emerged we were surrounded by a swarm of hawkers who harassed us into buying tickets to their own ( not what we wanted )tour of the bay.
They raised their voices a few times when we tried to walk away and were generally intimidating .
They also lied about accessibility to Ellis Island on other tours.said the museum was closed .
Still really angry about those guys .
Will probably never get the chance to go to Ellis Island.
Sad that a city allows these pests and hawkers to operate unmolested.
Sort it out New York.
These people have left a bad taste.
And visitors .. stay strong and walk away.
Written 18 October 2023
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.

A Midlife Adventure
Dursley, UK1,313 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We caught the ferry across from The Statue of Liberty at about 11 am. It wasn’t too crowded and you basically off load straight into the museum
We picked up an audio guide to ensure we learnt everything we could and didn’t miss anything.
For us this was the end of a longer journey having visited the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp where a lot of the European immigrants bought passage to the New World. We didn’t really learn anything new and to be honest found the museum in Antwerp far more informative.

Every American should visit to understand that the Native Americans are the only true real Americans. Everyone else is descended from an immigrant and as such should perhaps have more compassion for those seeking a better life in the current age.

We were there for several hours and finished our day by taking the ferry back to Battery Park.
Written 13 October 2023
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.

Christoph B
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
Incredible transportation capacity back from Ellis Island. Waited 2h…
Will Not recommend that visit even if the history of the Location is interesting
Written 8 October 2023
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.

Siena
43 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Great experience, very educational. 2 hours just fly by. So much to observe. As We are facing immigration issues today, we can all revisit here Ellis island to see how our country was formed and know what your great grand parents experienced. Be educated, be smart and compassionate.
My 18 years old daughter spend much time just learning how USA formed by immigrants from all over the world. She says what she learned in school finally connected, and able to deepen her understanding of this country. After visit here, you can go back to Manhattan with fresh pair of eyes to see everyone’s life and being.
Wished cafeteria offers different types of food, commemorate different ethnic foods.
Written 30 August 2023
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.

Mark B
New York City, NY8 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
Better than visiting Statue of Liberty. Most locals recommend to visit this before Statue of Liberty and I would definitely agree. That is if you want pictures with less strangers in them. It normally is never super crowded either.
Written 23 August 2023
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.

Kay S
3 contributions
Jul 2023
Spent 90 minutes waiting to get off the island. We all baked in the sun. It was 98 degrees and high humidity. It was so bad that I'm shocked that someone didn't die. No, I'm not even exaggerating. We had boats come and go. It was the fourth boat that we finally made it on. The trip to the statue was fine. However, there aren't enough people getting off to visit the island. Since no one got off. No one was able to get on the boat that had arrived to take us off the island. You've got a couple hundred people waiting to leave. They only have room for twenty to twenty five people, tops. There is no shade or covering. So, you just stood there getting cooked as we were all crammed together in a gated area. We were like cattle at the end of the trip. I honestly can't in good conscious recommend the Ellis Island portion of the cruise.
Written 28 July 2023
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.

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ELLIS ISLAND: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Ellis Island

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