About the Wall
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor, located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, celebrates our nation’s immigrant experience. Unveiled in 1990, this permanent exhibit is home to 775,000 individual and family names inscribed by donors to commemorate their heritage. Names are etched in a series of stainless steel panels situated between the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration and the banks of the Hudson River overlooking the Lower Manhattan skyline.
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor includes names of immigrants of all eras, even up to the present day. All ethnicities, years of arrival, points of entry, and modes of travel are represented. There are names of families and individuals, both living and deceased, each with its own story. Some donors inscribe names to commemorate the centennial of an ancestor’s arrival while new Americans celebrate their naturalization. Virtually every nationality from every inhabited continent on the face of the earth can be found on the Wall of Honor, alongside those who endured forced migration from slavery and our land’s earliest settlers, the American Indian. The common element that ties these names together is the celebration of American immigration.
To place a name on The American Immigrant Wall of Honor use our online order form or contact the Foundation’s Advancement team at ContactUs@LibertyEllisFoundation.org to receive information by mail.
For each contribution of $225, a donor may add an individual or one family name (ex. John A. Smith, The Mary Thompson Smith Family). Two-name entries are also available for a $300 donation (ex. John and Mary Smith, The Thompson-Smith Family). Special Name entries begin at $1,000. Please follow the Wall of Honor inscription formats (see below).
All donations support the Foundation’s mission to restore and preserve the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, including maintaining The American Immigrant Wall of Honor.
Please note that names are inscribed annually. Donations made throughout the calendar year will be installed the following summer.
All contributions to The American Immigrant Wall of Honor support the Foundation’s mission to restore and preserve the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, including maintaining the Wall of Honor.
Contribution levels include:
$225 – Single name or family
$300 – Double name
$1,000, $5,000 & $10,000 – Contributions at these Special Name/Leader Levels entitle you to two lines and special placement on the Wall of Honor. You will also receive admission to our exclusive Emma Lazarus Society.
Matching Gift: If your company participates in a Matching Gift program, please inquire with your employer to determine if our Foundation is eligible.