Ellis Island

Welcome to Ellis Island. I am your guide, and together we will explore one of the most consequential historical sites in the United States. …

We are now standing on the ground floor, in the area historically known as the Baggage Room. To truly understand the gravity of this space, we must first understand the journey that brought people to these doors. …

As you move from the Baggage Room to the staircase leading to the second floor, you are walking the exact path of the medical inspection. To the uninitiated immigrant, this was simply a flight of stairs to the next room. …

We have now entered the Registry Room, commonly known as the Great Hall. This stunning, cavernous space, with its soaring vaulted tile ceilings, was the heart of the Ellis Island processing machine. …

As we move toward the back of the Registry Room, we encounter a unique architectural feature that held devastating emotional significance: the Stairs of Separation. After surviving the medical inspection and the grueling legal…

Let us now ascend the stairs to the balconies overlooking the Great Hall. From this elevated vantage point, you can truly appreciate the massive scale of the Registry Room below. …

If you look out the windows toward the southern side of the island, you will see a sprawling complex of brick buildings across the water. This is the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital. …

We have now returned to the ground floor to explore the modern museum exhibits and step outside the main building. Just off the baggage room, you will find the Peopling of America exhibit, which masterfully contextualizes the…

As our tour of Ellis Island comes to a close, let us gather near the seawall and reflect on the immense historical arc we have traced today. The story of this island is bookended by two distinct individuals who represent the…