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• Ellis Island

  Thursday, Jun 18, 2009 5:22PM / Standard Entry / Members only
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  I went on a day trip to Ellis Island with a friend last month. It's a really cool place. It's a short ferry ride from either NYC or Liberty State Park in NJ.
  
  
  
  Here's the entrance to the museum, which is the place where prospective immigrants were 'processed' before they were allowed to enter the country. Ellis Island operated from 1892 to 1954. During that time at least 12 million people passed thru on their way to begin a new life.
  
  
  
  There's a large collection of luggage used by people to transport their belongings to America. A lot of things on display at Ellis Island have been donated by the families of immigrants. When entering the museum, for a small fee one can obtain an audio tour of the museum. I'd advise getting it because it adds so much to the experience.
  
  
  
  The intent of the audio tour is to tell you the steps people had to go thru to be admitted. This huge room is the first place they were directed. There were rows and rows of wooden benches, and people sat on them till they were called. They then walked up a big staircase. At the top they were greeted by medical screeners, whose job was to separate out those who were obviously ill. There was also a hospital on the island. That's where people were sent if they were considered to be a significant health risk to others.
  
  
  
  There are tons of old photos in the museum.
  
  
  
  This is a ship's manifest, which listed the people it carried on that voyage.
  
  The audio tape directs you to many small rooms on the upper floors, with different displays in each room. One room is the little courtroom where they held hearings. They said over 250,00 people were turned away over the years at Ellis Island for various reasons. The courtroom was their final stop before being sent back to their country of origin. The next few photos are momentos donated by families...
  
  
  
  Family photos..
  
  
  
  Some household goods..
  
  
  
  The hand embroidered detail in the clothing was amazing.
  
  
  
  There's an area in back of the museum that has a panoramic view of the NYC skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. A photo can't do it justice. The ferry continues from Ellis Island to Liberty Island, where the Statue is located. Special tickets are needed to enter the Statue area. They sell out if it's a busy day, so it's best to get there early to do that.
  
  
  
  Even tho we didn't get off at Liberty Island, we got a fantastic view of the statue on the return trip on the ferry. All in all it's a fun day trip. And no, I'm not getting a commission on tickets sold or anything hahaha. It sure sounds like it tho lol. 
  
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