This is the audio-only described version for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island park brochure. It contains maps, historic black and white and contemporary color photographs, timelines and text that present the history of the park and how to plan your visit. Side one focuses on the Statue of Liberty. Side two focuses on Ellis Island.
The top left side of side one of the brochure features two color photographs--one of Ellis Island and one of the Statue of Liberty. They are described below. The rest of the content and descriptions are described under their own sections.
You can reach the sites only by Statue Cruises, LLC: 1-877-523-9849 www.statuecruises.com Advance purchase is recommended.
Your round-trip ferry ticket includes access to the grounds of Liberty Island and full access to the Immigration Museum at Ellis Island. For Pedestal/Museum and Crown access, you must make specific reservations with Statue Cruises. Pedestal/Museum passes and Crown tickets are limited.
Ferries depart from Battery Park in Manhattan and Liberty State Park in New Jersey. To visit both islands in one day, plan to take an early ferry. Closed December 25.
To learn more about educational opportunities, look under ”Learn About the Park” on our park websites.
At the top right of side one within the Planning Your Visit section is a small map of the park. North points up. To the west is the state of New Jersey. To the east is the state of New York. In between the two states is the Hudson River. Ellis Island and then Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located, are just left of the center of the map. Liberty Island is south of Ellis Island. East of these two Islands is Governors Island National Monument, which is on Governors Island in the Hudson River and at the mouth of the East River in between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Ferries take you to both Ellis and Liberty islands and depart from Liberty State Park in New Jersey at the Railroad Terminal and from Battery Park in Manhattan close to Castle Clinton National Monument.
DESCRIBING: A sepia-toned, horizontal illustration.
DESCRIPTION: Immigrants stand on a crowded deck of a steamship entering New York Harbor. The ship is in the foreground and is about to pass the Statue of Liberty on its port side. The statue is in the right background of the illustration. It is just a silhouette of the iconic landmark. Many of the immigrants look toward the Statue. Some point toward her. Trying to get a better look, others climb the ship's rigging.
CAPTION: Immigrants and statue, from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, 1887.
CREDIT: Library of Congress.
RELATED TEXT: Above and below this illustration is the text of the 1883 Emma Lazarus poem "The New Colossus." It reads:
"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The majority of the top half of the brochure underneath the planning your visit information and to the right of the The New Colossus poem is text, a timeline and two images. The text follows. The timeline and images are under their own sections.
Even before it took its place at America’s gateway, the Statue of Liberty overwhelmed those who saw it. Parisians, watching the statue’s construction in their city in the 1880s, proclaimed it the “eighth wonder of the world.” Set atop its pedestal in 1886, it was the tallest structure in New York City—and the tallest statue in the world.
In 1865 a group of French intellectuals led by Edouard de Laboulaye, protesting political repression in their own country, decided to honor the ideals of freedom and liberty with a symbolic gift to the United States. The time was right: The Civil War was over, slavery was abolished, and the nation looked toward its centennial.
Nationalism, prosperity, and new technology forged an era of monument building. Auguste Bartholdi, Laboulaye’s young sculptor friend, seized the chance to create a modern-day Colossus. Twenty-one years later and an ocean away, “Liberty Enlightening the World” stood complete in New York Harbor. After the 1886 dedication, the president of France proclaimed that Liberty would “magnify France beyond the seas.”
But Liberty’s image was already being transformed by its adopted home. Amid massive immigration in the late 1800s, the notion of Liberty as the “Mother of Exiles” touched the minds and hearts of the public despite a growing number of restrictive immigration laws. In 1883 the young writer Emma Lazarus wrote a poem for a fundraiser for the statue’s pedestal. She titled it “The New Colossus” after the Colossus of Rhodes, the ancient statue that inspired Bartholdi. Her work gained lasting fame in 1903 when it was inscribed on a bronze plaque and affixed to the pedestal.
As immigration plummeted during World War I, Liberty’s role evolved: Staring out from glossy posters, telling citizens to buy war bonds or enlist in the military, Liberty was America personified. Later years have seen the statue’s image used to lead political movements, satirize national policy, sell lemons, illuminate living rooms, and attract tourists from around the world.
As you explore Liberty Island and the statue, consider Bartholdi’s philosophy: “Colossal statuary does not consist simply in making an enormous statue. It ought to produce an emotion in the breast of the spectator, not because of its volume, but because its size is in keeping with the idea that it interprets, and with the place which it ought to occupy.” The shaping and reshaping of its symbolism, over time and throughout the world, make experiencing the original statue in its original setting all the more important—and wondrous.
A black and white historic image is tucked in the middle of timeline text. Below and to the right is a contemporary color photo of the statue, whose arm is raised within a section of the timeline text. Both images are further described below.
The majority of the bottom portion of side one includes additional information about planning your visit to the statue. The text and a description of a photograph of the inside of the statue’s crown follow. The detailed map description of Liberty Island and the location of amenities are under their own sections.
Map description: This bird's eye view of Liberty Island allows us to peer at a downward angle from above at the statue and the entire island. The almond shaped island is oriented with the northeast side of the island on top. The statue is located on the southern tip of the island and faces south. Its back is to the rest of the island. It sits on top of the eleven-pointed star-shaped base labeled Fort Wood.
Behind the statue is a rectangular-shaped plaza oriented south to north with a white tent labeled Pedestal Entrance, Security Screening, and Lockers and is close to bottom points of Fort Wood. On the east side of the plaza and Pedestal Entrance and also within close distance of the statue is a path that leads to an area labeled Sculpture Garden. The northern far end of the plaza opposite the statue is a circular area, with a flag in the center. It is labeled Flagpole Plaza.
A path leads away from the flagpole plaza toward the west side of the island. The path is cross-shaped with a building labeled Information Center on the north side of the path. The information center is marked with the international symbol for Information. There is a building labeled Cafe and Bookstore on the south side of the path. This building is labeled with the symbols for food service, bookstore, and telephones. In the center of the path is a small tent labeled Audio Tour pavilion. This pavilion is labeled with the symbol for an audio tour. If you follow the path west through the brick gates, you reach a pier, labeled Ferry Dock, projecting out into the water.
Southeast and right next to the Ferry Dock and Audio Tour Pavilion area on this west side of the island is an open plaza labeled Cafe Plaza where there is a large building labeled Gift Shop. The Gift Shop is labeled with the international symbols for gift shop, restrooms, baby changing station, and ATM. This perimeter path takes you around the edge of the entire island. If you continue in a southeasterly direction on the path you will pass the front of the statue. When you are just past the statue’s front and are at her left side, you have reached a second pier extending into the water. Continuing just a little further is also the September 11 Memorial Grove, both located in the southeastern area of the island. An arrow points east in the direction of Manhattan from this point on the map. If you continue past the September 11 Memorial Grove to the top of the map an arrow points northeast in the direction of Ellis Island. The map's legend indicates that a little over three-quarters of an inch is 100 feet or 30 meters. Map credit: NPS
Side two of the brochure focuses on the history and planning your visit to Ellis island. Across the top one-fifth of the brochure is a historic photograph of immigrants and some of their artifacts. Below the immigrant photograph is text about the history of Ellis Island. Below this is a timeline. The bottom half of side two provides a map of Ellis Island and three floor plans within the Ellis Island Immigration Museum along with information about planning your visit. The text of the history of Ellis Island follows. Other information and images are presented under their own sections.
Millions of Americans can claim ancestors who came through Ellis Island. Religious persecution, political strife, unemployment, family connections, the lure of adventure: These were the circumstances of the greatest migration in modern history, when shipload after shipload of people, mostly Europeans, came to the United States. Beginning in 1892, the majority took their first steps toward becoming Americans at Ellis Island. Today Ellis Island is a memorial to all who have made this nation their adopted home.
In the decade after the American Revolution, about 5,000 people immigrated to the United States every year. By the early 1900s, that many arrived at Ellis Island each day, with a record 11,747 on April 17, 1907. All told, some 12 million came through Ellis Island. The immigration station at Ellis Island opened on January 1, 1892. Five years later the wooden structure burned, along with many immigration records. On December 17, 1900, a new, fireproof French Renaissance-style building welcomed new arrivals. Ferries and barges brought steerage passengers from steamships. As immigrants entered the building and climbed the stairs, doctors watched for a limp, labored breathing, or other suspected troubles.
In the Registry Room (Great Hall), inspectors asked immigrants their name, hometown, occupation, destination, and amount of money they carried—up to 31 questions in all. Those allowed to pass continued downstairs, exchanged money, bought provisions and perhaps rail tickets. A third or so stayed in New York City; others headed elsewhere. While 20 percent were held back for further medical or legal examination, only about two percent were denied entry.
After the inspection process was transferred to US consulates in the 1920s, only a small number of detained immigrants passed through Ellis Island. In 1954 it closed completely. Buildings deteriorated until restoration began in the 1980s. Today at Ellis Island you can retrace the steps of people pursuing new lives in a new land.
A photograph and three artifacts are described. The caption applies to the photo and artifacts and reads: “Newly arrived immigrants, early 1900s; Worker's identification; immigrant child's teddy bear, inspector's cap.
The bottom left side of the brochure presents text and a map to help you with your visit. The text follows. The map and two photos of the registry room--one historical, one contemporary, are described under their own sections.
To make the most of your visit, consult the Main Building maps and the time chart.
The Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located in the Main Building, has exhibits, theaters, gift shop, cafe, and visitor facilities. Check at the Information Desk for guided tours, programs, and the documentary film schedule.
The museum has three floors of exhibits documenting immigrants’ experiences at Ellis Island, as well as the general history of immigration to the United States. Audio tours, available in several languages, offer a range of ways to explore the Ellis Island exhibits.
The rest of Ellis Island’s buildings—the 1930s Ferry Building, hospital, morgue, contagious disease wards, offices, housing, and maintenance facilities—can be viewed only on a guided tour. You must schedule tours in advance. For information about the Hard Hat Tour and park partner Save Ellis Island, please visit www.saveellisisland.org.
Fort Gibson, on Ellis Island 1811–1860s, was near today’s Wall of Honor. Its foundation was uncovered during work on the Wall and is left visible. For more about Ellis Island’s military history, visit “Ellis Island Chronicles” exhibit on the museum’s third floor.
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation built the American Immigrant Wall of Honor to commemorate all immigrants to America. Through donations, people can have a name added to the wall. Note: This is not a comprehensive list of the 12 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. The Wall is in the back of the Main Building.
At the far left middle section of side two are two photos--a historical photo above a contemporary one. The caption for both reads: “Registry Room (Great Hall), circa 1912 and today.” The description of each follows.
This is a bird's eye view and illustrated plan of Ellis Island. The map is oriented with North at the top. It shows the entire 27.5-acre island and all buildings and significant areas of interest. The island is surrounded by water with one boat docked and arrows pointing to reference the direction to Manhattan (northeast), New Jersey (northwest) and Liberty Island (southwest). The island is shaped like two squares, side by side, divided by a strip of water more than 40 yards wide. The sides of the squares that face New Jersey, northwest, are topped by an additional narrow rectangle that closes the strip of water making it a U-shaped protected slip for the Ferries to dock in. Public Ferries dock on the Manhattan, northeast, side of the slip to discharge visitors in front of the main entrance to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. The buildings on the southwest side of the slip, are shown as two-dimensional, white rectangles, indicating that they are not open to the general public. The Museum and buildings on the other side, the Manhattan side, are shown in three-dimensional outlines with red-tan sidewalls indicating they are open to the public. Facing the museum entrance, the American Immigrant Wall of Honor and Fort Gibson archaeological remains are located on the right far corner of the island.
To the right of this map, are maps of the three floors of the museum. Each floor has descriptions of the exhibits. The floors are listed top to bottom, from the third floor to the first floor. The text and descriptions are presented under their own sections.
The bottom right section of side two of the brochure provides information about the Ellis Island Immigration Museum’s three floors. It includes three floor plan maps and summary text of the focus of each floor’s exhibits. Starting at the top is the third-floor map and text, underneath of which is the second-floor map and text, followed by the first-floor map and text. All maps are oriented with Manhattan at the top and the Museum Entrance at the bottom. They are presented under their own sections.
Each floor plan map is two dimensional, is viewed from above and floating in isolation. With some exceptions, the floors are shaped similarly to the island itself with two rectangular spaces on each end, connected by a narrower rectangle in the middle that is wider than it is long in comparison to the rectangles on each end, somewhat similar to the capital letter “H.” Public space is indicated in white, private space is light gray. The building outline, room dividers, and stairs are indicated in brown. The lettering labeling each area in the space is black. The text indicating the location of exhibits is white and within rectangular brown backgrounds.
Farthest left, or west on this floor is the Bob Hope Memorial Library. Outside the library entrance are restrooms, a baby changing station in the women's restroom, and the west elevator.
Moving east through the corridor, you come to the balcony that wraps around the perimeter of the room. Each end of the balcony is 25 feet deep by 70 feet wide with connecting four feet wide walkways on each side. The center is open to the Registry Room below. A third of the way east along the north side of the balcony is the Dormitory Room Exhibit. This is the only public space on this side.
Proceeding east along the south side of the balcony is the Changing Exhibit Gallery area on the right or south side. The entrance is at the furthest point east and to the right off the balcony. The east section of the balcony has exits at the north and south ends. Each balcony exit leads to a connecting U-shaped corridor that passes through the center of the east wing of the building. On the inside of the U is a private conference room and an open atrium to the second floor.
On the outside of the U, exhibits in clockwise order starting on the north side are Restoring a Landmark, Silent Voices, Treasures From Home, and Ellis Island Chronicles. Across from the entrance to Ellis Island Chronicles exhibit is the east elevator.
The left side or west section of the second floor has U-shaped corridor in its middle. The corridor begins on the southwest corner of the Registry Room and returns on the northwest corner of the Registry Room, which is the center section of the entire second floor. The exhibit in the left section of this floor is Through America's Gate. It occupies a series of individual rooms that parallel the outside perimeter of this corridor. The majority of space to the inside of the corridor is not open to the public. At the far bottom left corner is another exhibit titled Hearing Room. On the left side of this floor are restrooms, a baby changing station in the women's restroom, and the south-side west elevator. Toward the Registry Room is the free-standing History Channel video.
The east (or right) section of the building also has a U-shaped corridor through the center. Within the center of the U is Theater 2. The entrance is on the south side, Restrooms are on the right, across from the east elevator on this side of the floor.
The “Peak Immigration Years” exhibit starts in the southeast corner, continuing counterclockwise through connected rooms that parallel the outside perimeter of this corridor.
The main museum entrance is on the south or ferry side of the floor. This level has an additional L-shaped building on the west side and is where the Journeys: New Eras of Immigration, 1945 - Present exhibit is located. It is connected to the Main Immigration Building by a narrow corridor.
Upon entering the building is the center Baggage Room exhibit. Also in this area and immediately on the right upon entering is the Audio Tour Desk. Further away on the right, are the stairs to the Registry Room on the second floor. Immediately on the left, is the bookstore and further on the left is the information desk. Way in the back is the entrance to the exhibit “Journeys: The Peopling of America 1550-1890.”
The right rectangle of the building has a U-shaped hallway that takes you from and to the Baggage Room area. In this area is Theater One, the Ellis Island Cafe, the Gift Shop, and restrooms. The east elevator is on the right just before reentering the Baggage Room.
Returning back to and through the Baggage Room area on the left side and corridor of this floor, a pair of hallways split around a set of stairs. The American Family Immigration History Center, restrooms, and the west elevator are in this area.
One Hour or Less: Choose one of the following:
Two to Four Hours: All activities above, plus one of the following:
All Day: All activities above, plus:
Other Activities