Ellis Island Meetup➢

I’d mentioned the Ellis Island Hard Hat Tour to some club members at the 2023 convention. Several people expressed enthusiasm for a group tour, so I decided to organize one in May 2024. Half of us took the ferry from Liberty State Park in New Jersey near the historic Central Railroad of NJ terminal. The rest arrived via Castle Clinton in New York City. We all met at the Arrivals Building. Some toured the museum of immigration or watched the park film while waiting for our excursion to begin. Eleven of us had a great tour of the abandoned hospital complex. My husband and I spent some time afterwards on Liberty Island.

Abandoned Hospital Complex➢

A significant number of Americans today (40-50%) can trace their ancestry to immigrants who first set foot in the USA on Ellis Island. Twelve million people were processed through Ellis Island in its 60 year history. All had to pass a brief medical and psychological screening before proceeding into NYC or New Jersey.

Those who showed signs of an ailment were marked with chalk at the Main Arrivals Building and were detained in the island’s hospital for further evaluation. The hospital complex sat on land created from excavation of the NYC subway tunnels. The General Hospital was just across the ferry basin from the arrivals building while the Contagious Disease Hospital was furthest away and separated by another body of water to prevent the spread of disease.

Our group had a dedicated guide from Save Ellis Island. Save Ellis Island is the non-profit fundraising group seeking to restore or arrest the decay of Ellis Island’s south side. They receive no federal money and depend on the income from the tours they conduct to fund the preservation.

After donning our hardhats, we followed the guide first to the laundry room. He then led us through the Contagious Disease Hospital, sharing the history of Ellis Island. Along the way he pointed out interesting artifacts and the art installations by JR. Some of these have worn away since the last time I visited.

I also noticed more of the windows were boarded up. The guide said this is to protect the old windows. Save Ellis Island hopes to restore all 29 historic buildings, but it is an uphill battle. Since my last visit, they completed the restoration of the Outdoor Recreation Pavilion, built in 1937.

NPTC Ellis Island Meetup➢

• Ellis Island Hard Hat Tour
• Central Railroad of NJ
• Ellis Island Arrivals Building
• Statue of Liberty NM

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Location: New York Harbor
Designation: National Monument
Date designated/established: May 11, 1965
Date of my visit: May 18, 2024