Ellis Island National Monument

Address:New York, New York
Tel: (212) 363-3200

Visit what was once the nation's premier federal immigration station, where over 12 million immigrant steamship passengers were processed. Hear the echoes of hundreds of different languages of immigrants who came through the doors of Ellis Island in search of a better life.

Over 40 percent of America's population can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island, whose "Main Building" was open between 1892 and 1954. Today, visitors can take free 45-minute tours of the Main Building throughout the day along with self-guided tours which span the three floors of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Visitors should allow several hours at Ellis Island to see the movie about the island's history and venture through the many galleries. Leave extra time if you want to search through the database of immigrant manifests and discover family ancestry at the American Family Immigration History Center. The Immigration Museum displays lots of personal items left behind, such as personal letters and jewelry, as well as a variety of exhibits and programs about the history of Ellis Island and the immigration process.

The park is accessible by Circle Line-Statue of Liberty ferries only, which leave Liberty Island every half hour. Ferries depart from Battery Park in New York City and Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. Battery Park is located at the Southern tip of Manhattan, off the West Side Highway South or the FDR Drive South. Liberty State Park in New Jersey is located off exit 14B of the New Jersey Turnpike. Find out if you're among the 120 million Americans who can find the actual name of a family member at Ellis Island!