Ellis Island Immigration Museum
add photos13 Reviews for Ellis Island Immigration Museum
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00 families found this helpful
"NOT TOO INTERESTING"
The ferry ride will be fun for kids, but otherwise it's not too amazing. I'm sure if you have family ties to Ellis Island that might be neat for a kid, but it's very informative, not very interesting. One of those things you can say you did but have no desire to do again.
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0 families found this helpful
"Great place to visit"
I loved this place, but it probably wouldn't be the best place for younger kids. Pre-teens through adults would enjoy this the most. There is so much history here. My kids and husband enjoyed it, but didn't think it was fantastic. Children and adults who are really into history would find it more interesting. ( I would have liked to spend a whole day there.) But we combined it with a trip to the Statue of Liberty ( a must see) , so were only able to stay part of the day. You have to take a boat over to the island and it is a combined ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
1 family found this helpful
"cool"
I visited this museum when I took a trip to New York and it was pretty interested all of the information and items they had. I really enjoyed it. If you like museums, then this one is a place to visit. We did not take our kids because we believe that they are too young to visit museums. I would recommend this museum though
0 families found this helpful
"Prepare to be searched....."
Ellis Island is an iconic landmark of any New York city visit especially if it follows up a little research at home. One of the most well documented geneology projects are the Ellis Island records.
There are ship manifests on line that tend to bring the whole immigrant experience to life prior to arrival and then once at Ellis Island, all of the "things" children are exposed to make alot more sense. Take older children who have an interest in history.
The ride over is fun for kids (as any ferry ride is) but be prepared for a pretty thorough search prior to stepping on the boat. We went in November and had to strip down pretty well as we were wearing multiple layers. I felt like I had stuff lying everywhere and almost left my camera trying to hurry through the queue.
Allow yourself plenty of time especially if you make the far end of Manhattan the end of your day as the last boat leaves rather earlier from Eliis Island so you cannot be there at night like other attractions.
0 families found this helpful
"Great Educational Experience"
This is a great educational experience for older children. The younger ones enjoy the ride over, but they tend to not do very well with the tour and learning parts. I find this place wonderfully fascinating and definitely think that you should take your older children to experience this. It gives them a greater appreciation for their lives and situations and what others went through to get to America. A Great historical stop!
'11
1 family found this helpful
"Palpable history"
The great hall at Ellis Island speaks to me. I could sit all day and listen to the voices of the immigrants long ago who waited here to find out when they could enter the United States. I found the displays fascinating, they give a history of the island as well as its uses in more recent times.
Set over two floors, the lower floor contains a history of the Island while the upper floor has displays of rooms and bathrooms as they appeared some 60 years ago.
The 12 year olds I went with did not have much appreciation for the site, they rather enjoyed the ferry and eating lunch on the lawn, but found the museum boring. I think that a top notch tour guide, or a well-informed parent/guardian would make the trip far more interesting to them.
There were many school groups and tourist groups here at the same time as us and I would assume they would be there most days.
There is an area where you can search for family names that had passed through the island, rather interesting if you come from an immigrant family. Many of the students found names of relatives or neighbors while searching.
I would reccomend the museum to older kids, probably 10 years and up, though there were a large number of tourists with little kids around too.
2 families found this helpful
"Very educational"
I took my kids when they were about 11 and 13 and we took a ferry around the island and got great views of the Statue of Liberty. The architecture of Ellis Island is very unique as well. The exhibits were interesting. My Grandmother came over from Europe through Ellis Island. I added a plaque for her on the outside wall. I think that made it a bit more poignant for me but it would be interesting anyway for older child who understand immigration. I loved the seeing the old photos.
1 family found this helpful
"Not the best for young kids"
With younger kids, this could be very boring. There is a lot of history involved & alot of information that little ones will not find too interesting. Security is pretty tight, so watch what you bring. Older kids and adults would probably appreciate this alot more than younger ones.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
Between 1892 and 1954, more than twelve million people passed through the portals of this place, seeking a new life in a new land. Reopened in 1990 after a $150 million restoration, the museum helps visitors to retrace the steps of their ancestors’ journeys through films, self-guided audio tours, and exhibits of treasured personal possessions brought from their homelands.
Ask about the free self-guided Junior Ranger program for children ages 7 to 12. An electronic “family tree” tracks the world’s largest mass migration, and the Immigrant Wall of Honor enshrines the names of many members of America’s “melting pot,” including my sons’ great-grandfather.
1 family found this helpful
"great history"
Ellis island is a landmark and definitely a great trip for the whole family. Exploring the information they have on the immigrants that came through here is wonderful. It also can be accessed through Liberty State Park in Jersey which offers nice views of the city.
0 families found this helpful
"A live history lesson"
We visited Ellis Island with our two children. We all took the audio tour and the whole experience was fascinating and a history lesson my children will never forget. They left with a sense of despair and sadness after they realized all what people went through to live in the United States. As adults, we learned a lot and I thought the whole visit was very emotional. A must go museum.
0 families found this helpful
"Ellis Island"
Great learning experience! Clean and easy the navigate, Ellis Island is a wonderful place to take the kids. Descriptive placards of fascinating exhibits provide a "come-to-life" history lesson for kids and adults.
3 families found this helpful
"Great with older kids"
If you ever wanted to know where you came from, if your family came through Ellis Is., this is the place to go. Even if your family came over on the Mayflower or took a plane recently, it's so full of history here that you can stand in awe at the spirit of the location that was the gateway for so many Americans.
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