Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Railroad Ticket
Office
Those traveling beyond
New York were ferried
to railroad terminals in
New Jersey to continue
their journeys. Agents
could sell as many as
25 tickets per minute.
Dormitory
Immigrants who
were detained for further
examinations slept here
in separate quarters for
men and women. Al-
though the process was
nerve-wracking, only two
percent of those seeking
refuge were sent back.
2
3
Key to Floor Plan
First Floor
Second Floor
Third Floor
7
5
6
1
Baggage Room
Here newcomers checked the
boxes, trunks, and baskets that
held the meager belongings
they carried, now all their
worldly possessions.
The Peopling of America
400 years of immigration history
are displayed in more than 30
galleries. Exhibits such as
The
Peopling of America
have artifacts,
heirlooms, posters, maps, and photos
donated by immigrants' families.
American Family
Immigration
History Center
Using computer and
multimedia technology,
visitors can access
passenger arrival records
of more than 22 million
people entering New York
between 1892 and 1924.
New Jersey's Ellis
Island
Although federal property,
a long-fought battle over
territorial jurisdiction of
Ellis Island was settled
in 1998. Originally a 3-
acre site, Ellis Island's
landmass was increased
in the 1900s with landfill
to more than nine times
its original size, to over
27 acres. A US Supreme
Court ruling decided the
added landfill to be
within the territory of
New Jersey, and the
original portion to be in
New York. New Jersey
officials launched a
restoration program that
includes saving the dere-
lict hospital buildings.
American
Immigration
Wall of Honor
To honor their forebears,
Americans pay to have
their names inscribed on
this list. Including the
families of John F. Kennedy
and Barbra Streisand, this
is the world's largest wall
of names; over 600,000.
Immigrants' Living Theater
Daily theatrical productions that are based on
actual immigrant accounts are given by actors who
recreate the experiences of Ellis Island. The museum
has two movie theaters, a Library and an Oral
History Studio with taped reminiscences.
For more museums
See pp40-41
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