5 Best Tours on Ellis Island in New York

Just a 10-minute ferry ride from the Statue of Liberty is Ellis Island, the famous gateway to the United States that millions of immigrants crossed in search of a better life in America and that you have seen so many times in the movies.

Visiting places such as the Immigration Museum, The Great Hall, The Wall of Honor and Ellis Island Hospital, you can learn more about a very interesting chapter in the history of the United States and the names and stories of those who helped build the country. In this post, we review the best tours to take on Ellis Island and everything there is to see there. Take note!

With this ferry cruise to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, you'll discover two of New York's must-see historical sites. You'll sail to Ellis Island, where you can visit the National Immigration Museum, one of the city's most exciting museums and a symbol of American history. The tour also includes access to Liberty Island and the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty if you choose the corresponding option.

This tour is ideal for those who want to understand how millions of immigrants arrived in America. Admission to the Immigration Museum is included, and you can take the tour with an audio guide or accompanied by an expert guide.

Details of interest

• Price: — from £46
• Duration: approximately 4 hours
• Includes: Return ferry ticket, access to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, admission to the Museum of Liberty and the Museum of Immigration, option of a guide or audio guide

The guided tour of the Statue of Liberty is one of the most comprehensive options for visiting Ellis Island. It includes the ferry from Battery Park and admission to the National Immigration Museum, where you will discover the real stories of those who crossed the Atlantic in search of the American dream.

During the tour, you can explore Ellis Island and its museum at your own pace with an audio guide or with a professional guide. It also includes admission to the Statue of Liberty Museum, making this tour a complete historical experience.

Details of interest

• Price: — from £39
• Duration: 4 hours
• Includes: Ferry, access to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, admission to both museums, professional guide or audio guide depending on option

The VIP tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island gives you priority access to one of New York's most iconic tours. Start first thing in the morning, avoiding the crowds, and include a visit to Ellis Island, where you can take your time exploring the National Museum of Immigration.

This museum is one of the highlights of the tour, and admission is included in all options. You can choose between the standard experience, a shorter express version or a completely private tour, all of which include specialised content on the history of immigration in the United States.

Details of interest

• Price: — from £41
• Duration: 2 to 4 hours (depending on option)
• Includes: Ferry, professional guide, access to Liberty Island, Ellis Island and official audio guide

This combined tour with the 9/11 Memorial connects two fundamental chapters in the history of the United States: immigration at Ellis Island and the 9/11 attacks. You'll start by visiting Liberty Island and Ellis Island, where admission to the Immigration Museum is included, an essential tour for understanding the multicultural origins of the country.

Afterwards, the route will take you to the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero. You can also include admission to the 9/11 Museum. This tour combines historical reflection and tribute, ideal for those seeking to learn about New York's past from different perspectives.

Details of interest

• Price: — from £62
• Duration: approximately 5 hours
• Includes: Ferry, expert guide, access to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, admission to the 9/11 Museum (depending on option), admission to the Immigration Museum

The private tour to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is ideal for those looking for an exclusive and personalised experience. You will be accompanied by a private guide who will explain the history of these places before you enter the museums on your own. Includes admission to the Museum of Liberty and the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island.

During this 5-hour experience, you will visit the most significant sites in the country's immigration history and enjoy spectacular views of Manhattan from the ferry. It is perfect for small groups who want to explore Ellis Island in depth and without crowds.

Details of interest

• Price: — from £56
• Duration: 5 hours
• Includes: Round-trip ferry, private guide, admission to the Museum of Liberty, admission to the Immigration Museum, access to the crown (depending on option)

A visit to Ellis Island would not be complete without a stop at the National Museum of Immigration, one of the most exciting and significant sites in New York City. Admission to the museum is included in this ferry cruise, which also takes you to the Statue of Liberty, allowing you to explore both historic symbols in one experience.

The history of immigration in the United States

The Immigration Museum is located in the main building on Ellis Island, in the north of the island. This was the largest immigrant processing centre between 1892 and 1954. During your visit, you will tour several floors that explain the evolution of immigration in the United States from colonial times to the present day. Walking through its halls allows you to relive the hustle and bustle, uncertainty and hope felt by millions of people as they arrived at this key point in their quest for the American dream.

Tour of the museum floors

• First floor: here you will find the Baggage Room, where new arrivals registered their belongings. Original old suitcases are on display, showing how these people travelled from their countries of origin.
• Second floor: the most iconic part of the museum. Medical and legal inspections were carried out in The Great Hall. It also includes The Hearing Room, where decisions were made on the admission or deportation of immigrants.
• Third floor: here you will find The Dormitory Room, where immigrants were temporarily housed. The bunk beds from that period show how every space was used.

Permanent exhibitions at the museum

The museum's exhibitions offer a highly accessible educational experience. Through panels, photographs, videos and infographics, you will learn how immigration has shaped the identity of the United States over time.

• Journeys: The Peopling of America 1550–1890: shows immigration prior to Ellis Island, from the beginning of colonisation.
• The Ellis Island Experience 1890–1954: recreates the admission process and the great waves of immigration, with spaces such as "Peak Immigration Years" and "Through America's Gate".
• Journeys: New Eras of Immigration 1945–Present: analyses how the phenomenon of migration has changed in recent decades.
• Restoring a Landmark: tells the story of the building's restoration after years of neglect.

Historic collections you can't miss

One of the most exciting aspects of the museum is the collection of personal items brought by immigrants. Documents, letters, photographs, passports, clothing and even utensils are on display as a testament to the lives they left behind and the hope with which they arrived.

• Treasures From Home: brings together objects of great emotional value donated by immigrant families. Books, traditional costumes and tableware showcase the diversity of origins that shaped American society.
• Silent Voices: addresses the period after Ellis Island closed in 1954. Images of abandonment and some original furniture preserved as found convey a sense of history frozen in time.

Useful information for your visit

• Location: Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, New York, NY 10004
• How to get there: By ferry from Battery Park or Liberty State Park
• Hours: Every day from 9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Recommended duration: Between 1.5 and 2 hours, although you can stay longer if you are interested in the subject in depth

Plan your trip carefully, as the last ferry back leaves at 5:15 p.m. This museum is an essential stop to understand the multicultural roots of the United States and the key role immigrants have played in the country's history.

In addition to the National Immigration Museum, tours to Ellis Island include other equally interesting sites that complete the experience and allow you to learn more about the history of those who came to the United States in search of a better life. Many of these tours, such as those that combine a visit to Ellis Island with the Statue of Liberty, also include lesser-known but highly symbolic sites.

The Wall of Honor

The Wall of Honor is an outdoor memorial located in front of the Immigration Museum, with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. This wall contains thousands of names engraved on it of immigrants who arrived in the United States via Ellis Island. The most interesting thing is that it continues to grow: anyone can add the name of their ancestor by making a donation. Walking through this space not only allows you to reflect on the impact of immigration, but also to connect emotionally with the personal stories that shaped the country.

If you have family roots linked to this place, it is worth stopping to look for names, which include anonymous people and prominent figures such as Isaac Asimov and Bela Lugosi. It is also an excellent opportunity to take photographs with an unbeatable backdrop.

Family History Centre

One of the most special places for those seeking to reconstruct their family history is the American Family Immigration History Centre, located on the ground floor of the museum. Here you can consult a database with more than 65 million historical records, all linked to immigrants who passed through Ellis Island.

If you think any of your ancestors may have arrived here, you can search for their name in the archives. This place is an ideal starting point for genealogical research. You can also access this database online through the official website of The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation.

The abandoned hospital

At the southern tip of the island, opposite the museum, is the abandoned Ellis Island hospital. Immigrants who showed symptoms of illness upon arrival in the United States were admitted to its facilities. It is estimated that 10% of new arrivals had to pass through here before continuing on their way.

Although now in ruins, the hospital can be visited on a special guided tour. During the tour, you will visit different rooms in the building, such as the laundry room, the autopsy room, the kitchen and the infectious disease area. It is one of the most powerful experiences on the island and gives you a glimpse into the lesser-known — and harsher — side of the immigration process.

Views of New York from the island

In addition to its rich history, Ellis Island also offers spectacular views of New York City. From here, you can enjoy a privileged perspective of the Manhattan skyline, with such iconic landmarks as the One World Observatory and Battery Park.

You'll also have a panoramic view of the Statue of Liberty in all its glory and the Hudson River, which separates Manhattan from New Jersey. The views from Ellis Island are one of the highlights of the tour, so have your camera ready to capture this unique moment.

Optional visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Some tours allow you to extend the experience by including a stop at the 9/11 Memorial or the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. This is the case with this combined tour, which includes the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the 9/11 Memorial, ideal for those seeking a more complete and immersive experience.

During the tour, you can visit Ground Zero and the memorial with the commemorative pools featuring the names of the victims. You will also have the option of entering the museum and exploring the impressive rooms on your own, where you will find objects recovered from the rubble, personal testimonies and tributes to those affected. This visit adds a powerful emotional dimension to your day, connecting two crucial moments in American history: the arrival of millions of immigrants in search of freedom and the tragedy that marked an entire generation.