Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration occupies the restored main immigration building on Ellis Island in New York Harbor and interprets the arrival experience of immigrants to the United States; the island processed millions of arrivals between 1892 and 1954.

Exhibits cover immigration stories, processing procedures, and the social history of migration to the United States, centered on the restored Great Hall (the Registry Room). The museum also offers audiovisual programs, rotating exhibits, and access to the American Family Immigration History Center for searching passenger records.

The site includes visible remains of the hospital complex and other service buildings that supported immigration processing in the early 20th century.

The federal immigration station began processing arrivals in 1892; the current main building was completed around 1900 after an earlier structure was destroyed by fire. Ellis Island processed over 12 million immigrants from 1892 until regular immigration processing on the island ended in 1954. The main building was later restored and opened as a museum to interpret that history.

Situated in Upper New York Bay adjacent to Liberty Island, Ellis Island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and is reached only by ferry from Battery Park in Manhattan and from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

• Processing numbers: More than 12 million immigrants were processed through the island between 1892 and 1954, and the site now interprets those arrival stories and records.
• Getting there: Ferry service runs from Battery Park (Manhattan) and Liberty State Park (New Jersey); access to the island is only by park-run ferries that include admission to the museum.
• Research resources: A staffed research center on-site provides access to passenger manifests and immigration records used for family-history research.

What to See #

• Main Building and Great Hall: Restored early 20th-century immigration processing building containing the great registry room, orientation exhibits, and the National Park Service information desk; the main building was completed around 1900.
• American Family Immigration History Center: On-site research center providing public access to passenger records, manifests, and other immigration documents for genealogical research; searchable databases and staff assistance are available.
• Hospital Complex: A separate complex of hospital buildings and outbuildings built in the early 20th century to treat arriving immigrants; much of this complex remains in ruin and is visible from the island.