Visiting the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

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I am an immigrant to my country. My country of birth is the UK, but I am now also a Canadian citizen after falling in love with this beautiful country. Deciding to leave your home country is never an easy decision, whatever the circumstances. It’s also not an easy process as I found out in my mission to move to Canada. My first blog post was about my decision to move to Canada, how it came about and how I’ve fared since then. So today I’m not going to talk about my personal journey, but I do want to tell you about an experience I had when visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York City last summer, because it really hit close to home for me. And I’m sure it will for other people too.

Related post: Moving to Canada – halfway around the world

America, the land of opportunity

The USA is a nation of mostly immigrants. Trace a family back far enough and they likely made the move from somewhere else, hoping for a better life. I know that’s what I did. Because of my own experience I was really interested in spending time at Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration when in New York. Ellis Island was the main entry point for people coming to America from the late 1800s to early 1950s. Not all of them were moving to the States, but either way they all went through inspections.

Ellis Island is situated in New York Harbor close to Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty is. Both can be seen from lower Manhattan and you can only imagine how people felt approaching New York, passing Lady Liberty as they landed in the United States. I even found a book in the Ellis Island gift shop about Swedish immigrants and their letters home after settling in the USA. An interesting read.

Related post: 8 of the best travel books to inspire wanderlust

Tickets for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Please make sure to buy your tickets well in advance of a visit. I booked mine 2 months before arriving in New York and still didn’t get the ticket with statue access. The standard ticket includes the boat transfer and entry to Liberty Island, boat transfer to Ellis Island and entry to the National Museum of Immigration, and a return transfer to the main land. I wanted to buy the upgraded ticket with entry to the pedestal or crown of the Statue of Liberty, but was unsuccessful. Both of these tickets are limited, so best plan ahead.

I booked my tickets online and we had to select a time. The time is so they can stagger people for the boat transfers. It doesn’t mean you’re getting on a boat at that time, but just that you will start the security check process. Security in the whole lower Manhattan area is quite high so the process to get on the boat can be rigorous. I wouldn’t take any large bags or items and make it easier on yourself. We got on a boat within about 20 minutes so it wasn’t too bad. I opted for an earlier entry ticket to maximize time there.

Boat ride to the Statue of Liberty

The boat was pretty basic. There is bench seating all around the inside area of the boat, but a lot of people end up having to stand as they really pack you on there. We hurried in to make sure my Mum got a seat. There’s a little shop where you can buy a hot or cold drink and some snack items. If like me you want to get some great views as you approach the Statue of Liberty, there is an outdoor viewing deck on the boat. The ride was pretty quick, probably only 10-15 minutes. It is a well oiled machine, very efficient, but it can feel like you’re part of herd being moved along on and off the boat. But then you’re on Liberty Island.

Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty

When we got to Liberty Island, we walked all around the base of the Statue of Liberty. It’s huge up close and while everyone wants their photos in front of it, we found people were courteous and willing to help you take a photo if you wanted. Everyone has the same look on their face as they stare up at this iconic symbol of the United States. Awe, appreciation and a big smile. You can’t help but be amazed at how close you are. I would love to go inside the statue. Next time I’m in New York, for sure.

All along the walkway around the statue are information panels detailing facts about the statue, and telling you about it’s history. The whole island has a lot of very informative stories including how and when it was built, and the history of Liberty Island before it was named that. Another thing about Liberty Island is that the views of lower Manhattan are incredible. We visited on a bit of an overcast and cloudy day, but the city still shone bright. Inside the visitor center there’s a cafe to get food and a wonderful gift shop. There are so many books about the island, the statue and the history of the United States. I definitely could have spent longer there.

Arrival onto Ellis Island

Our next stop was to visit Ellis Island, so we walked back to the dock for our boat. We boarded the boat quicker for this shorter ride. Seeing the Statue of Liberty get smaller as we got closer to Ellis Island, it’s easy to imagine that this is the view millions of people had as they approached immigration central in the early 20th Century. We were there in a few minutes. The National Museum of Immigration is housed in the former immigration inspection station. The beautifully ornate building is both welcoming and dauntingly imposing. I’m sure it invoked both those feelings in millions of immigrants that have passed through its doors.

We walked around the outside of the museum for a while. Again, like Liberty Island, there are fantastic views of lower Manhattan. I could stare at the iconic skyline all day, picking out buildings we’d been to and seen up close, working out where the Empire State Building is and taking dozens of photos. But it was a cool day so we made our way inside to learn more about this island’s history.

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

The museum is huge. There is way more information in here than I had imagined. So much so that by the time we were halfway around we realized we would run out of time to see everything before we would have to be leaving. When they say that with the afternoon tickets you won’t have time to see both islands, they are correct. Make sure you go in the morning so you aren’t rushed.

The entrance hall and ground floor

Entering into the building we arrived in what was the baggage hall. Immigrants would check and leave all of their belongings here while they proceeded through immigration inspections. There is a display of antique luggage to give you a sense of what would greet new arrivals.

The exhibit on the ground floor started off as an introduction to immigration to the USA. Except there is so much information as you are taken from the 1500s up to present day, it feels like you go way past the introductory stage. All of the information is very interesting, don’t get me wrong. But this is the part where we spent the most time and should probably have picked and chose what we read as we started to run out of time later on. If you have kids with you, they might get a little bored after a while making your way around this exhibit. There are historic artifacts and pictures along the way, and it’s really well done. But the real good stuff is upstairs.

The Great Hall and second floor

After a brief stop in the cafeteria for a sit down and a drink, we made our way up the staircase to the second floor.

The room may look spacious, but back in the day it was packed full of people all day long. They would have waited in line to be seen by the inspectors, having to submit to medical examinations and questions about their plans in America and how much money they had with them. Walking through the Great Hall we entered the wings of the second floor. There are storyboards leading you through the rooms telling of people who passed through this immigration station.

A lot of people were admitted into the United States after proving they would not be a burden on society, and that they could take care of themselves. But there were many who were not as lucky.

I read dozens on stories of people denied entry and sent back to their home country. The most they saw of America was the Statue of Liberty, and immigration hall. A brief glimpse into what could have been. Some of the stories were heartbreaking to read. This was the most interesting part of the day for me. To hear what other people were looking for by choosing to immigrate.

A day of reflection in the Land of the Free

I still can’t believe how many people gave up everything to travel to a country they knew nothing about. Whether they were successful or not in their journey, that took a great deal of bravery. When I decided to move to Canada, I had visited before. I knew I liked it, and wanted to be there. I was able to get help to complete my application for immigration. There were endless sources of information online to assist me. Back in the early 1900s people sold everything they had to get a ticket on a ship to take them to a country they had never been to. Some had family who wrote from the States, but others moved just on rumors and the hope of a better life. I can’t even imagine that.

My day made me feel very grateful for a lot of things: family and support, my education, and freedom. It wasn’t always simple even for people who were granted status in America. There were people waiting to take advantage of their naivety for where they were, and how things worked.

The book store on Ellis Island is amazing. Books telling the history of Ellis Island (in case you ran out of time to read it while you were there), and others with more personal stories. I liked these ones best. I can’t recommend enough visiting both of these historic sites if you’re in New York. If you know your ancestors immigrated to the United States, you can also learn more about tracing the Ellis Island records.

If you’ve enjoyed this post please share using the social media buttons below, or leave a comment. Have you visited Ellis Island or the Statue of Liberty? What were some of the highlights of your trip?