Ellis Island was the gateway through which more than 12 million immigrants passed between 1892 and 1954. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is housed in the old immigration station and ranks as perhaps the city's No. 1 must-see tourist site. In addition to seeing the building itself, you can view hundreds of photos of immigrants and exhibits of items they brought with them to the U.S.
In the Oscar-winning 30-minute film Island of Hope, Island of Tears, immigrants tell their stories of pulling up roots and going to America. The audio tour tells the stories of immigrants in their own words. You can also take in the 30-minute play Ellis Island Stories (May-October; children younger than 4 not admitted to the performance). Check at the information desk for tickets and film and performance schedules. The American Immigrant Wall of Honor commemorates more than 600,420 of the first-generation Americans. Computers inside the museum allow you to see if your last name appears anywhere on the wall. You can also search ships' manifest records for your ancestors. If your search is successful, you'll get a reproduction of the original manifest along with a picture of the ship of passage.
You can get to Ellis Island only via the Statue of Liberty ferry, which departs from Battery Park about every 45 minutes. Be prepared for tight security measures, including airport-style X-ray machines and metal detectors, and for long lines to access the ferry during weekends and peak tourist seasons. To minimize crowds and waiting time, try to be on the first boat in the morning. Reserve tickets, good for reaching Ellis Island and Liberty Island, may be ordered ahead of time at the ferry service Web site; advance purchase is recommended to avoid ferry lines. A Flex Ticket allows un-reserved entry any time during a three-day period. The monument is open daily 8:30 am-5:15 pm (closed Christmas). The last ferry departs Manhattan for the island at 3:40 pm. Admission is free, but there are separate fees for the audio tour (US$4 adults) and performance (US$3 adults). The ferry ride costs US$12 adults, US$10 for seniors, US$5 children ages 4-13, free for children younger than 4. (You can get to Battery Park by subway line N or R to Whitehall Street; 4 or 5 to Bowling Green; 1 to South Ferry.) Toll-free 877-523-9823 for information and ferry schedules. http://www.statuecruises or http://www.nps.gov/elis.
