From the end of the 19th century until the middle of the 20th, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty made up the gateway into the United States for Europeans. In the decades since this facility closed in 1954, both of these sites have been some of the most visited tourist destinations in New York City. Our NYC workers comp lawyers think that all visitors and residents of New York City should try to visit Ellis Island at least once. Here is what you can expect if you decide to come here:
Immigration Museum
The Immigration Museum can be found in the Main Building of the former immigration station complex. This structure is in the French Renaissance Revival style and has been restored to what it looked like between 1918 and 1924. This museum chronicles the stories of more than 12 million immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island’s golden door. Today, the descendants of these immigrants make up nearly half of the population of the United States. The museum also has an audio tour with over 120 hours of contents and 2,000 audio stop segments, which are divided into three parts: The Ellis Experience; Journeys: The Peopling of America; and Journeys: New Eras of Immigration.
Peopling of America Center
In 2015, Ellis Island opened its new Peopling of America Center galleries, a major expansion of the Ellis Island museum. This expansion tells the story of immigration to America before the opening of the process station in 1892 and after it shut its doors in 1954. Exhibits offer insight into the immigrant experience, including their journey to the USA, their struggles after they got here, and how they built communities and became American citizens.
Family History Center
The Family History Center is located inside the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Here, visitors can comb through an expansive collection of immigrant arrival records which were stored in the Port of New York Passenger Records from 1820-1957. Families have the opportunity to search the archives in the Center or online and learn about their family history.
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor
This permanent exhibit is made up of a wall inscribed with the names of individuals or families who have entered the United States through Ellis Island. Currently, there are more than 700,000 names on this wall, which is right outside of the Great Hall at Ellis Island. Visitors to Ellis Island can search for their family’s name and panel before arriving. Additionally, new names are consistently added to the wall.
The American Flag of Faces
The American Flag of Faces is a newer exhibit at the Ellis Island Museum. This interactive digital exhibit includes a mosaic of portraits which have been submitted by individuals and families. An animated USA flag is populated with these user-submitted photos, all of which can be clicked and enlarged.
