Is there a virtual tour of Ellis Island?
The tour was completed and launched in late 2015. This virtual tour is primarily of the South Side of Ellis Island, the location of the historic hospital complex. These important structures are generally not available to the visitors. Explore this space virtually and see our buildings from a whole new point of view!
Do the original buildings on Ellis Island still exist?
While visitors to Ellis Island may be familiar with the fully-restored main building located on the north side of the island, the buildings on the south side—closed in 1954—are lesser known. They sat abandoned for 60 years before opening again for tours—in their unrestored, decaying state—in October, 2014.
What floor was the baggage room at Ellis Island?
first floor
Upon entering the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, you will find yourself in the Baggage Room, the main lobby of the first floor. This was the first place that immigrants came to after getting off the ferry, just as it is today for visitors.
Why would doctors watch the immigrants walk up the stairs at Ellis Island?
During 1903-1914, the busiest years at Ellis Island, immigrants were checked on the stairs for trachoma, a very contagious eye disease. Doctors used a tool called a buttonhook to lift a person’s eyelid to look for any hint of the disease.
What is a buttonhook Ellis Island?
Immigrants arriving in the US on Ellis Island were checked for trachoma using a buttonhook to examine their eyelids – they often warned each other to ‘beware the buttonhook men’. Anyone found to have the disease was sent home or treated before being allowed into the country.
Did Ellis Island have a hospital?
The Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital (also known as USPHS Hospital #43) was a United States Public Health Service hospital on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, which operated from 1902 to 1951. The hospital is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
What did immigrants pack in their trunk?
Items that families were able to pack often consisted of clothes, tools needed for a skilled trade, possibly a family Bible and a picture of their parents, family heirlooms, and necessary provisions for the trip.
What was at the bottom of the stairs of separation?
The center staircase was for immigrants who were to be held for additional inspection- either medical or legal. Out of time? Continue down the stairs, turning left at the bottom and straight ahead to the Baggage Room where you entered the building. The exit to your Ferry is on the right.
Why did they check eyelids at Ellis Island?
View the virtual tour to see this image in its original, spherical, shape. In 2014, in anticipation of the Centennial of the National Park Service and the 50th Anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the park staff began working with the NPS’s Historic American Buildings Survey to develop a virtual tour of Ellis Island.
What is the Tenement Museum Virtual School?
The Tenement Museum’s virtual school programs offer your class a chance to “visit” our recreated apartments from anywhere in the world. Our Educators take students into the building and apartments using pre-recorded video, 360° images, and primary sources to share stories of the families who lived in our historic buildings.
What can I expect at a tenement tour?
Your guests will interact with experts, educators, or costumed interpreters, and be guided through the recreated spaces of our historic tenement buildings and the lives of the families who lived there, using videos, archival images, and oral histories.
What are the hours of operation for the Tenement Museum?
We are open 7 days a week from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm! The Tenement Museum celebrates the enduring stories that define and strengthen what it means to be American.