Ellis Island is a tiny and insignificant island that has so much importance to America and its history. This was the site where immigrants coming to the Port of New York and New Jersey were processed from 1892 to 1924. For millions of Americans-to-be, this was their first taste of America and their new home. Today Ellis Island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and is accessible by ferry. Today it houses the national museum of immigration and the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital - the latter is only open to the public via guided tours.

History Of Ellis Island

For those interested, the present-day Ellis Island was created by receding glaciers around 15,000 ago at the end of the event dubbed the "Wisconsin glaciation." The native Mohegan name is "Kioshk" (meaning "Gull Island"). Before land reclamation, the island was low-lying and mostly disappeared under the waves at high tide.

Then came the Dutch (remember New York was Dutch and New Amsterdam before it was British). The Dutch bought the island in 1630 and its translated Dutch name is "Little Oyster Island". It was formally locally famous for its Oysters.

Before it was an immigration center, Ellis Island was a fort and housed Fort Gibson that later on was transitioned into a naval magazine. After 1924 Ellis Island was mostly a detention center for migrants and it housed prisoners of war during both the First and Second World Wars.

  • Number Of Immigrants Processed: 12 Million
  • Size Of The Island: 11.1 Ha (Much Of Which Is Reclaimed Land)

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The Purpose Of The Facility

Ellis Island also represented the increasing role of the Federal Government in the role of the nation since America came into being. America was originally more of a looser federation of states and so prior to 1890 it was the individual states and not the Federal Government regulating the immigration into the USA. For the State Of New York, the immigration station was in the Battery of Manhatten (from 1855 to 1890). In that time the Battery of Manhattan processed an estimated 8 million immigrants - mostly from Northern European states.

In response to a variety of stresses including political instability, religious persecution, and economic distress gripping much of Europe in the 1800s, many sought a new and better life in America. This triggered a massive wave of migration from the Old World and the existing facilities were ill-prepared to handle such an influx. The Federal government had to do something and so built a new station on Ellis Island to relieve the over-burdened Castle Garden processing center.

Ellis Island opened on the first of January 1892 and the very first immigrant to be processed was Annie Moore - an Irish teenage girl with her two younger brothers.

  • Average Processing Time: It Normally Took 3-7 Hours To Inspect Incoming Immigrants (Much Better Than The Airport Waiting Times That People Still Complain About Today!)

For so many of the immigrants, Ellis Island was an "Island of Hope". It was this first stop in this all-new world of America. But not everyone was accepted. Some were rejected and sent away, for them it was known as the "Island of Tears" and it was also an isle where families could be separated.

Visiting Ellis Island

Visiting Ellis Island is straightforward and easy. The National Park Service cautions tourists to ensure that they buy legitimate tickets from the correct authorities. There are:

"many aggressive, unauthorized ticket sellers who will try to sell tickets to the Statue of Liberty near Battery Park in NYC. These individuals will often try to scam people through misrepresentation and over-charging. We highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance...Plan ahead if possible, and avoid these scammers selling overpriced and/or fake tickets."

They go on to say that the only on-site location that is authorized to sell tickets is the ticket office actually inside the Castle Clinton in Battery Park. They are called "Statue City Cruises".

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Cost Of Admission: 

  • Ferry Fee: $23.50 (Adults)
  • Ranger Tours & Audio Tours: Included In The Ferry Fee
  • Hospital Tours: $45 Extra (Restricted To Persons Under 13 Years of Age)
  • Entrance Fee: $0.00 There Is No Entrance Fee, All Visitor Much Purchase The Above Ferry Ticket

One can only access Ellis Island and The Statue Of Liberty Island by Statue Cruises ferry. Their website is statecruises.com. Anyone else saying they provide access treat with caution. See here to read about the Statue of Liberty.

  • Hours Open: Standard Open Hours Are 9.00 am to 6.00 pm Daily
  • Closures: For Public Holidays The Opening Times May Change or Be Closed

Visiting the island is a great chance to discover the history of the nation. It is a great chance to see how immigrants first saw America - immigrants that are now the progenitors of so many Americans alive today.

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