Ellis Island, New York, NY 10004
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation that recognized the historical significance of Ellis Island by incorporating it into the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Liberty's 1986 centennial sparked an ambitious project to repair and refurbish the Statue and the main building on Ellis Island.
Once off the ferries, immigrants crowded through the main entrance of Ellis Island into this room where they could check their baggage. With thousands of people being inspected every day, keeping track of everyone's belongings was a major logistical problem and lost baggage a common complaint. Some immigrants, refusing to check their possessions, insisted on carrying them through the entire inspection routine. Today, the Baggage Room is the entrance to the museum and features century-old luggage from the Ellis Island era, an introductory exhibit about the history of immigration to the United States, and the World Migration Globe.
"Journeys" explores the early history of immigration before Ellis Island opened as an immigration station. It examines how immigration, both voluntary and involuntary, shaped the early landscape of this country and introduces visitors to the diverse groups of people, who, before 1890, populated the land that would become the United States.
Explore the history of immigration after Ellis Island closed as an immigration station in "New Eras." Examine how technology has shaped contemporary immigration. Through dynamic media, first-hand accounts, and interactive elements, you may find that although some aspects of immigration has changed, much as stayed the same. Then, learn more about becoming American in the "Citizenship Gallery." In this exhibit, you can answer some of the questions that are asked in the nationalization test to become an American citizen!
Today, the enormous arched windows and immense open spaces of the Registry Room evoke a feeling of grandeur. For the immigrants, however, the room was often a loud, confusing and frightening place. Nearly every day, for over two decades (1900-1924) the Registry Room was filled with new arrivals waiting to be inspected and registered by Immigration Service officers. On many days, over 5,000 people would file through the space. For most immigrants, this great hall epitomized Ellis Island. It was here that immigrants underwent medical and legal examinations. Here they encountered the complex demands of the immigration laws and an American bureaucracy that could either grant or withhold permission to land in the United States.
Located in the "Through America's Gate" exhibit, the "Hearing Room," has been restored to look as it did around 1911, during the period when it served as a Board of Special Inquiry hearing room. About 10% of the persons arriving at Ellis Island were held for a legal hearing.
The exhibits in the west wing on the second floor of the museum describe step-by-step what most new arrivals experienced on Ellis Island, the federal government's first immigrant inspection depot. Ellis Island's main function was to screen out those considered undesirable – the incurably ill, the impoverished, the disabled, criminals, and all others barred by the immigration laws of the United States.
