|
Ellis
Island Immigration Museum
Following
the restoration in the 1980's, the Main Building reopened in 1990 as the Ellis
Island Immigration Museum, a symbol of America's immigrant heritage. The museum
exhibits chronicle Ellis Island's role in immigration history and view it in
the context of its time and the still broader context of four centuries of
immigration to America.
The exhibits also
portray and give voice to the immigrants themselves. Each of their stories is
unique and bears witness to the courage and determination that enables men and
women to leave their homes and seek new opportunities in an unknown land.
These exhibits occupy
over 40,000 sq.ft. on three floors of the Main Building; they include museum
objects, photographs, prints, videos, interactive displays and oral histories.
The largest exhibit is the building itself — the imposing French Renaissance
Revival structure designed by Boring and Tilton, built in 1900 and restored to
its 1918-1924 appearance.
American
Immigrant Wall of Honor®
A
popular exhibit at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum is the American
Immigrant Wall of Honor. The Wall of Honor is located outdoors, just outside
the "Peopling of America" exhibit. The Wall honors America's immigrants
regardless of when they immigrated or through which port they entered. The Wall
is currently inscribed with over 700,000 names, and registrations are currently
being accepted for a new phase of the Wall.
To have a name inscribed on the American Immigrant
Wall of Honor, click here.
American
Family Immigration History Center® (AFIHC)
Opened
on April 17, 2001, this new family history research facility contains the ship
passenger records of the over 25 million people who entered through the Port of
New York and Ellis Island from 1892-1924, the peak years of immigrant
processing at Ellis Island. Visitors are able to access 11 fields of digitized
information, as well as view and obtain reproductions of original ship
manifests and photos of ships of passage. To prepare for a search, visitors
should gather as much information as they can, such as: the passenger's first
and last names; approximate year of arrival; "ethnicity" (which may include
race, nationality, and religion); approximate age on arrival; ship of travel;
port of departure; and whether the passenger traveled with other family
members.
Search Passenger Records Now.
Ellis
Island Living Theater
presents...
”Taking a Chance on
America: Bela Lugosi’s Ellis Island Story"
Due to popular demand, “Taking a Chance on America: Bela Lugosi’s Ellis Island Story”
will reopen at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum’s intimate Living Theater for a
limited run beginning April 25 through September 5. The play, written by playwright
and screenwriter Aurorae Khoo, portrays the immigrant experience of legendary movie
actor Bela Lugosi—best known for his portrayal of Count Dracula—and features a
reenactment of the Ellis Island inspection process. The show also includes contemporary
immigrant characters.
Produced and funded by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., this 30-minute
show will be presented seven times daily. Times are 10:45; 11:30; 12:15; 1:00; 2:30; 3:15;
and 4:00. Admission is $6.00. Reservations are accepted for groups of 10 or more. Since the
theater seats 56 people, some groups may have to schedule multiple shows. (Please note that the
National Park Service, which administers Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, requires
one chaperone for every ten students.) Individuals without reservations are encouraged to
purchase their tickets upon entering the museum.
It is recommended that show-goers purchase Reserve Tickets for the ferry, which allow ticket
holders priority entry to security check-in and saves wait time. Flex Tickets are also available.
For ferry information, call 1-877-LADY TIX (1-877-523-9849) or visit (www.statuecruises.com).
Due to security procedures, it is suggested that show-goers arrive one hour before their
scheduled ferry departure from Battery Park in New York or Liberty State Park in New Jersey.
For more information or to make reservations, contact The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation at 212-561-4500, ext. 0 or Theater@ellisisland.org.
To learn more about Bela Lugosi, please visit the actor’s website maintained by the Lugosi family at http://www.lugosi.com/.
The Performers employed in this production are members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
The
Baggage Room
(restored to its 1918-1924 appearance)
Thousands of immigrants crowded into this room on a daily basis where they
could check their baggage before climbing the steps to the Registry Room.
Peopling
of America® (restored to
its
1918-1924 appearance)
Originally the
Railroad Ticket Office, where immigrants could make travel arrangements to
their final destinations in the United States, it now contains exhibits
covering 400 years of immigration history.
Registry
Room (restored to
its
1918-1924 appearance)
The historic Great
Hall, once filled with new arrivals waiting to be inspected and
registered by immigration officers, now contains historic benches and
reproduction inspector desks. Visitors can re-live the experience of 12 million
people processed through this cavernous space.

Through
America's Gate (restored to its 1911 appearance)
Exhibits
illustrate the processing of immigrants at Ellis Island, includes the Special
Inquiry Room, refurbished to 1911.
Peak
Immigration Years
The
history of immigration to the United States between 1880-1924.
Dormitory
Room (3rd floor; restored and refurbished to its 1908 appearance)
Ellis
Island Chronicles
Overview
of the island's growth and development from prehistory to the closing of all
island facilities in 1954.
Treasures
from Home®
Cherished
personal objects, photographs and papers brought from the homeland are on
display.

Silent
Voices
Photos
and artifacts detail the immigrant station's closing and abandonment after
1954.
Restoring
a Landmark
The
largest historic restoration in U.S. history, funded and directed by The Statue
of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation from 1985-1990, transformed the ruins into a
national museum of immigration
Hearing
Room
Officially
known as the Board of Special Inquiry, this room in 2 West has been carefully
restored to its appearance during the years 1908-1911. Immigrants not passing
inspection would have a final opportunity to have their case overturned in one
of three hearing rooms at Ellis Island. Re-enactments of actual cases are
performed in this historic space.
Temporary
Exhibits
Dormitory
Gallery — Third Floor
"A Century of Hope:" November 24, 2008 – April 12, 2009.
On June 2, 2008 President Bush signed a law naming the Ellis Island Library, the “Bob Hope Memorial Library,” after one of the best known Americans to have passed through Ellis Island. This exhibit provides a brief glimpse at the life and career of Bob Hope, as well as the role that immigrants played in early twentieth century entertainment.
Beginning with Bob Hope’s life in England and the immigration of the Hope family to America in 1908, the exhibit explores his career as a comedian, actor, dancer and singer. It also focuses on the entertainment Hope provided to our service men and women for nearly six decades, beginning in World War II and continuing through Operation Desert Storm.
Baggage
Room - First Floor
To Be Announced
Railroad
Ticket Office Gallery – First Floor
To Be Announced
Tips
for Planning a Visit
Click
here for more information on the history of Ellis Island.
Click
here to visit the National Park Service website devoted to Ellis Island.
Terms of Use | Privacy
|