Ellis Island, New York: history, the immigration museum, ferry and tickets

Ellis Island, in New York Harbor, was the immigration station that processed more than 12 million people between 1892 and 1924. Today its main building holds the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, and the island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The only way there is the ferry from The Battery in Lower Manhattan or from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Go to see the halls where arrivals were inspected and to look for your own family in the records. The New York city page has the short version; this page goes further.

Ellis Island history, year by year

The National Park Service chronology lists several earlier names. In the 1670s Governor Andros granted Little Oyster Island to the customs collector William Dyre. After the pirate Anderson was hanged there in 1765, it became Gibbet Island. In January 1785 Samuel Ellis advertised it for sale; it did not sell, but his name stayed. In 1813 Governor Tompkins named the battery on the island Fort Gibson.

The immigration station opened in 1892, and Annie Moore of Ireland was the first person processed. A fire on June 14, 1897 destroyed the wooden buildings, and processing moved to the Barge Office in Battery Park. The new fireproof main building, designed by the New York firm Boring and Tilton, which won a competition among five firms including McKim, Mead & White, opened on December 17, 1900, and 2,251 immigrants were examined that day. Landfill doubled the island before the first station and later added room for a hospital complex; the Main Hospital opened in March 1902 with space for 125 patients, and the NPS says it was overwhelmed with trachoma, favus and other contagious illnesses.

The peak year was 1907, with 1.2 million people examined. By the 1900s, the NPS says, southern and eastern Europeans made up over half of arrivals. Inspection took 3 to 7 hours on average, and the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation says only 2% of arrivals were excluded.

The 1921 law limited each nationality to 3% of its number in the 1910 census. The 1924 act cut that to 2% of the 1890 census and required visas from American consulates before departure. After that the island became mostly a place of detention. In May 1942 about 1,000 German, Italian and Japanese nationals were detained here. The last detainees left on November 12, 1954, and the ferryboat "Ellis Island" made its last run on November 29. On May 11, 1965 President Johnson made the island part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument; a $156 million restoration ran from 1986 to 1990, and the island reopened to visitors on September 10, 1990. In 2001 the foundation opened a family history center, now the Records Discovery Center.

What to see at the museum

Behind the museum are the Wall of Honor and Fort Gibson.

Expect some closures. The NPS page for the Ellis Island Reimagined project, updated September 8, 2026, says parts of "Through America's Gate" are closed, "Peak Immigration Years" is closed, and so is the changing exhibit on the third floor. The first floor is fully open. The work is funded by the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation.

The audio tour is included and comes in 12 languages, Russian among them. Ranger walking tours are free, need no ticket and usually last about 35 minutes; ask at the information desk for times. The unrestored hospital complex (laundry, infectious disease wards, mortuary, courtyards and passageways, depending on conditions) is open only on the Hard Hat Tour. The Records Discovery Center and the foundation's website hold passenger lists for Ellis Island and the Port of New York from 1820 to 1954.

How to get to Ellis Island

Statue City Cruises is the only ferry the NPS authorizes to carry visitors and sell tickets. Private boats cannot dock.

From The Battery, Manhattan. Since March 6, 2026, screening and boarding are at a new site next to Castle Clinton, about 300 yards north of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Subway: 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, R to Whitehall Street, 1 to South Ferry. Buses M5, M15 and M20 stop at South Ferry. Private paid lots are on West Street and South Street, and the nearest meters are on Battery Place. Ferries stop at Liberty Island first, then Ellis Island.

From Liberty State Park, Jersey City. GPS address: 1 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305, with paid parking. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stop "Liberty State Park" is a 1.4-mile walk from the ferry, with no shuttle; transfer to the light rail at Hoboken or at Exchange Place via PATH. Ferries from here stop at Ellis Island first.

See the NPS public transportation page.

Hours and tickets

The NPS charges no entrance fee; the ticket is a ferry fare, and it covers both islands, the museum and the audio tour.

The island is open every day except Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and December 25. Ferries run frequently from The Battery and Liberty State Park, but the schedule changes by season, so check first and last departures in the schedule on the operator's site, statuecitycruises.com (Plan Your Visit, Schedule) before you go. To see both islands comfortably, the NPS advises boarding before 1:00 PM, and the operator warns that a 2 PM or later entry leaves too little time for both. Weather alerts are posted on the operator's site.

Hours and prices checked November 4, 2026 on nps.gov and statuecitycruises.com.

Tips before you go

• The time on your ticket is your security screening time, not a ferry departure. Screening lines can top an hour in peak season.
• Screening is airport-style. Suitcases, carry-ons and large parcels are not allowed on the ferry, and there are no lockers. Weapons, drones, markers and flags larger than 3 by 3 feet are banned.
• Pets are not allowed on the ferry or the islands, except service animals.
• Statue City Cruises suggests 4+ hours for both islands. The NPS says 2 to 3 hours covers Ellis Island alone.
• Buy only from Statue City Cruises: online, at 1-877-523-9849, or at the windows in Castle Clinton and the railroad terminal at Liberty State Park. The NPS warns that street sellers near The Battery may charge more or sell trips on boats that do not land at the islands.
• The island has a cafe, and you can bring your own food, but large coolers will not get through screening.

More sights are on the New York places page.

Questions people ask

Can I look up an ancestor who came through Ellis Island?

Yes. The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation opened a family history center on the island in 2001, now called the Records Discovery Center. It and the foundation's website hold a searchable database of passenger lists for Ellis Island and the Port of New York from 1820 to 1954. The more you know about the person, the easier the search.

Is there an audio tour in Russian?

Yes. The audio tour is handed out inside the main entrance of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration at no extra cost, since it comes with the ferry ticket. It is available in 12 languages, including Russian, plus a family version, an American Sign Language version and an audio-described version.

How much does it cost to visit Ellis Island?

The museum itself is free; you pay only the Statue City Cruises ferry fare. As of November 4, 2026, an adult ticket is $25.50, seniors 62 and older pay $22.50, children 4 to 12 pay $16.50, and children under 4 ride free. The Hard Hat Tour of the old hospital costs $50 more.

Can I go inside the old hospital on Ellis Island?

Only on the Hard Hat Tour, booked through Statue City Cruises. Participants must be at least 13, and anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian. Closed-toe shoes are required, you must handle stairs and uneven ground, and wheelchairs and mobility scooters are not permitted.