Ellis Island

Ellis Island

Between 1892 and 1954, over 12 million European immigrants passed through the processing station at Ellis Island. Today, the island is home to a museum dedicated to immigration and the idea of seeking a new and better life in America.

Due to artificial expansion, Ellis Island is within the boundaries of New York City and Jersey City, New Jersey, and therefore is within both the states of New Jersey and New York. It is wholly in the possession of the Federal government as a part of Statue of Liberty National Monument, however, and is under the jurisdiction of the US National Park Service.

The federal immigration station opened on January 1, 1892 and was closed in November 1954, but not before processing 12 million European immigrants (estimates range up to 20 million).

Today Ellis Island houses a museum reachable by ferry from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey and from the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City. The Statue of Liberty, sometimes thought to be on Ellis Island because of its symbolism as a welcome to immigrants, is actually on nearby Liberty Island, which is about 1/2 mile to the South.

Ellis island was also known as "The Isle of Tears" or "Heartbreak Island." Some immigrants were sent back to their countries and did not become U.S. citizens after the long trip to Ellis Island.

Location

New York Harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River
New York, New York
USA

Getting There

To get to Ellis Island by public transportation, you can take the Statue of Liberty Ferry from Battery Park in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Both locations can be reached by subway or bus.

From Manhattan, you can take the 1, 4, 5, J, or Z subway trains to South Ferry Station. From there, it's a short walk to Battery Park, where you can board the ferry to Ellis Island.

From New Jersey, you can take the PATH train to Exchange Place Station in Jersey City, and then transfer to the Liberty Landing Ferry to Liberty State Park. From there, you can board the ferry to Ellis Island.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in New York that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.