Visit Ellis Island Immigration Museum - New York

If you thought visiting the Statue of Liberty was all there is to New York, think again! Apart from being just tourist eye-candy, the park that the Statue of Liberty finds itself in also plays home to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. This compact, 27 acre island is located off the tip of Manhattan Island, New York. This rich historical site was literally the portal to America; as over half of Americans today can trace at least one person in their family history to have passed through the Port of New York at Ellis Island. Visit the Ellis Islands Immigration Museum to stand in the spots steeped in history and tradition; the founding portal of the New World.

Visiting the immigration museum bestows an intriguing history on visitors. In the years between 1892 and 1924, a huge amount of immigrants braved the long voyage across the wide seas to America. The historical experience at Ellis Island Immigration Museum is one that takes you back to the days of the American Revolution. Walk through the Great Hall at Ellis Island Immigration Museum and enjoy the self-guided exhibits that show Ellis Island's role in the 12 million-strong immigration. Various artifacts, photos, prints, videos and interactive displays make the visit a joy. See the American Immigrant Wall of Honor, documenting the amazing heroes and stories of so many that passed through the portal to America. This is the longest wall of names in the world, including over 700 000 names.

Interactive media features allow present-day Americans to trace their American family roots at the American Family Immigration history Center, where visitors can access the passenger records of the ships that braved the high seas. See the award-winning documentary, "island of Hope, island of Tears". Enjoy the "Liberty Dance" show, written by playwright and screenwriter, Aurorae Khoo, that documents some of the more intriguing immigrant stories, based on the oral histories passed down from generation to generation. The show is presented from the perspective of two immigrant girls who witness some of the fascinating people and events that characterized the founding of the great America.

Hop on the circuit-line Statue of Liberty Ferry that provides a delightful ferry ride from Battery Park to Ellis Island. For a rich historical, cultural and spiritual experience, visit the Ellis Island Immigration Museum to hear the tales of the immigrants that landed on the shores of the New World many moons ago, and take advantage of some of New York’s finer accommodation types, such as the self-catering log cabins and luxury vacation apartment rentals in Manhattan. While you are at it, enjoy some of New York’s other attractions including fine dining, shopping and sightseeing.