NEW YORK CITY ( PIX11 ) – Ellis Island, first an immigration hub and now a historic archive, will now be transformed once again and its museum expanded to include millions more familial records, organizers announced Thursday.
To enable thousands more visitors to learn about their families ‘ story, including when they arrived in the country and where they were headed, the collection at the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum will more than twice in dimensions. This will enable the collection to include 154 million accessible records from all US ports of entry.
It’s part of a full renovation and expansion, kicking off in 2024, that will preserve the 125- year- old historical landmark and add multimedia exhibits, fresh open spaces and guided tours to the museum.
The Ellis Island experience has long been central to the project’s collaboration between the National Park Service, National Park Service, and the Statue of Liberty- Ellis Island Foundation. The expanded Records Discovery Center will enable millions more to take part in this genealogical research.
In the new museum space, visitors will take a three- story journey through immigration before, during and after Ellis Island’s operation from 1892 to 1954. The experience will include artifacts, maps, models, murals, films and mixed- media and temporary exhibitions. Self-guided tours for people of all ages are included with visitors ‘ ferry tickets.
The$ 100 million project is expected to be complete in 2026, organizers said.
According to John Piltzecker, superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island,” Ellis Island was the doorway to the American Dream for millions of immigrants looking for a better life in the United States for themselves and their descendants.”
And in the museum’s “discovery center”, soon to be larger with new exhibits and technology, visitors can leaf through millions of documents to find their family history.
What can you find there?
The Ellis Island Museum currently has over 65 million Port of New York arrival records from 1820 to 1957, which can include a person’s name, age, date of arrival, ship name, birthplace, last residence and final destination.
The archives also include lists of what was on ships arriving, detention records, images, and plane arrival information from the 1930s to 1950s which includes similar identifying information.
The Ellis Island Museum and online access to the database are both free.
Emily Rahhal, a digital reporter from Los Angeles, has covered local news for years. She has been with PIX11 since 2024. Follow her on Twitter and follow her on this website for more information.
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