Gilded Age · New York
Ellis Island
Edwin Levick (via Wikimedia Commons)
Why Ellis Island Matters
For more than six decades, Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the front door to America. From 1892 to 1954 it served as the nation's largest and busiest immigrant inspection station, where roughly 12 million people took their first steps as new arrivals to the United States.
An estimated 40% of Americans can trace an ancestor who passed through its Registry Room. Once nearly lost to neglect, the great hall and Main Building have been restored as the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
By the Numbers
By the Numbers
- Years in operation
- 1892–1954
- Immigrants processed
- ~12 million
- Main Building opened
- 1900
- Architectural style
- Beaux-Arts
Timeline
- 1892Ellis Island opens; Annie Moore is the first immigrant processed on January 1.
- 1897Fire destroys the original wooden buildings.
- 1900A new fireproof Beaux-Arts Main Building opens.
- 1907The station's busiest year: more than one million immigrants processed.
- 1954Ellis Island closes as an immigration station.
- 1990The restored Main Building reopens as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
Complete History
Ellis Island opened as a federal immigration station on January 1, 1892; the first person processed was Annie Moore, a teenager from Ireland. The original wooden buildings burned in 1897, and a new fireproof Main Building in the Beaux-Arts style — designed by the firm Boring & Tilton — opened in 1900.
At its peak the station processed extraordinary numbers of people; 1907 was its busiest year, with more than a million immigrants. Most passed through in a matter of hours, moving through the soaring Registry Room — the “Great Hall” — for medical and legal inspection. Some were detained, and a small fraction were turned back.
As immigration laws tightened in the 1920s the island's role declined, and it finally closed in 1954. After decades of neglect, the Main Building was restored and reopened in 1990 as a museum. Ellis Island is administered by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
Historic Images
Interesting Facts
- From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was the nation's largest and busiest immigrant inspection station.
- About 12 million immigrants were processed there; an estimated 40% of Americans have an ancestor who came through.
- The first immigrant processed was Annie Moore, a teenager from Ireland, on January 1, 1892.
- 1907 was the busiest year, with more than one million immigrants processed.
- New arrivals passed through the Main Building's Registry Room, or “Great Hall,” for medical and legal inspection.
Visiting Today
- Hours
- Open daily except December 25; reachable only by ferry.
- Admission
- The island and museum are free; the ferry (the only access) is ticketed and also serves the Statue of Liberty.
- Best time to visit
- Take an early ferry to beat the crowds; combine with Liberty Island.
- Nearby
- The Statue of Liberty, Battery Park in Manhattan, and Liberty State Park in New Jersey.
The American Family Immigration History Center lets you search passenger records — allow extra time for the ferry and security screening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Ellis Island?
The main U.S. immigration station from 1892 to 1954, where about 12 million immigrants were processed.
How many immigrants came through Ellis Island?
About 12 million over six decades of operation.
Who was the first immigrant processed there?
Annie Moore, a teenager from Ireland, on January 1, 1892 — the station's opening day.
Is Ellis Island connected to the Statue of Liberty?
Yes. Both are part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and the same ferry serves them.
Can you visit Ellis Island?
Yes. Ferries from Battery Park (New York) and Liberty State Park (New Jersey) reach the island, and the immigration museum is free to enter.
