Most visitors allocate more time to the Statue of Liberty than Ellis Island. And they shouldn’t.
Statue of Liberty boat trips
The Statue of Liberty is justifiably one of the great international symbols of New York City – and, indeed, the United States of America.
Standing 46 metres high on an island in New York Harbour, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s masterpiece is also an attraction in its own right. Every day, thousands of people take the short boat ride to Liberty Island to see the statue up close.
However, many of them make one big mistake.
How Statue of Liberty tours work
Most Statue of Liberty tours offer stops at both Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Understandably, for most people, Liberty Island is the main target, and Ellis Island is the bonus.
In terms of time allocation, though, this is the wrong way round. Spend more time at Liberty Island than Ellis Island and you’ll likely regret it.
What is Ellis Island?
Ellis Island was the former processing centre for migrants arriving in the US from Europe. Between 1892 and 1954, more than 12 million immigrants first set foot on American soil at Ellis Island.
The processing centre is now a museum, telling of how of those millions of Europeans gave up what they had at home for a new life on a new continent. Some of the stories are stirring, some harrowing.
The museum also goes into the quarantine procedures and tests the newcomers faced, plus the difficulties they had establishing themselves in the New World.
Statue of Liberty vs Ellis Island: How much time for each?
In short, the experience on Ellis Island is evocative and endlessly fascinating. You should allocate at least two hours to it.
The problem is that most Statue of Liberty tours stop at Liberty Island first. It’s a great photo stop, and there’s plenty of information about how the statue was designed, built and transported. But half an hour to an hour on Liberty Island will do the job.
What to remember when booking a Statue of Liberty tour
The key thing to remember when booking a Statue of Liberty tour – and planning your day around it – is that you need at least half a day for the outing. Give yourself enough time to be absorbed by Ellis Island before hopping on the boat back to Manhattan.
For more New York City tour and activity ideas, head this way.
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