Ellis Island Things to Do Tips by icunme

Inscribe your family name on the Wall

It is possible to honor your ancestors who made this journey so that you could have a better life and a very fitting tribute is to have their names inscribed on the Ellis Island Wall of Honor. When the opportunity first presented itself, I entered the names of my family and have added the names of my uncles through the years. The Wall of Honor is in a perfect location - behind the main building, facing the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline.

You can do this on-line from your home or if you visit Ellis Island, you can complete the application form right there. The are currently accepting new names for another section of the wall that will be added.

The fee for adding each name is $150 and gift certificates are available also.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Behind the main building

Website: http://www.wallofhonor.org

Research the arrival of your ancestors

This is easy to do from your home computer - On the Ellis Island site, I keyed in my grandmother's name and up popped the information with the name of the boat, date of arrival at Ellis Island, where exactly she came from in Verona, her health, color of hair and eyes, her U.S. destination and that my grandfather was waiting for her. Her children were listed separately on the ships manifest. Actual photos of the ships are sometimes available but none for my Grandmother.
If you use the on-site research facility - the American Family Immigration History Center, it hold records of 22 million immigrants, passengers and crewmembers who entered the Port of NY and Ellis Island from 1892-1924. 41 Computer terminals are available for your use containg documents that cover 11 fields: Immigrant's Given Name - Immigrant's Surname - Ethnicity - Last Residence (Town and Country) - Date of Arrival - Age Upon Arrival - Gender - Marital Status - Ship of Travel - Port of Departure - Line Number on Ship's Manifest.
It is very helpful if you have the correct spelling of the names. However, if you are there at Ellis Island and using the computer research room right there, the very knowledgable attendants can help you if names are misspelled. Consider also that if your family, for example, came from Serbia - the map was different at that time and they would have been under the auspices of the Austrian-Hungarian empire - most like documented as having come from Austria instead of Serbia.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Main Building - Computer Research Center

Phone: 212 561-4500

Website: http://www.ellisisland.org

Watch the sunset from the Ferry

If you spend a few hours at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - the last Ferry back to Manhattan leaves right about sunset and that's an excellent choice.

Directions: Ellis Island to Battery Park

Trace the immigrant journey

"Through America's Gate" is an exhibit in the main building that replicates the immigrant journey through the Ellis Island station. A step-by-step view of immigrant processing is revealed through historic photographs, artifacts and personal papers. Restored to the 1918-1924 period, this 14 room exhibit area features audio recordings of immigrants' reminiscences.

This photo is typical of the emotion experienced when we first face the display of immigrant's luggage - the first sight you see upon entering the mail building where they were processed.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Main Building Exhibition Hall

Website: http://www.ellisisland.org

Treasures From Home

In the Ellis Island Galleries you will find this exhibit which is a collection of approximately 1,000 artifacts and photographs brought by immigrants to America

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Main Building

The ferry ride is a melting pot of America

It is interesting to note the passengers on the ferry boat. We were accompanied by people representing many different culturals. You will see in the first photo a woman wearing the Muslim burka, feeding her infant.
Seems to me there is more that unites than divides this human race.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Ferry boat

Phone: 212 269-5755

Website: http://www.statueoflibertyferry.com

Ellis Island Chronicles

This exhibit in the Ellis Island Galleries portrays the story of the island from its earliers days as a fishing site to the 1950s. Highlights show the incremental growth from the original 3.3-acre island to the final 27.5-acre site that was created with landfill.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Musueum area

Silent Voices

depicts the period when Ellis Island was abandoned to the ravages of vandals and the elements of the New York Harbor.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Museum exhibit

Restoring a Landmark

This exhibit documents the metamorphosis of the main building from an abandoned ruin to a new national museum.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Museum

Peak Immigration Years

An extraordinary 10-room exhibit that tells the larger story of immigrants, regardless of their port of entry. Displays explore the immigrant experience: leaving their homelands, journeying to America, traveling across the new country, establishing communities, working, adapting to American life, becoming American citizens, and raising American children.

Address: Ellis Island

Directions: Museum