April 10, 2007
Ellis Island new ferry terminal tours start April 17
Starting next week, public tours will begin of Ellis Island's "new" ferry building, the first of 30 long-abandoned buildings scheduled for renovations at the historic immigration center.
Ellis, which operated as the nation's main immigration center from 1892 to 1954, only opened as a museum in 1990. But when it opened to the public, more than half of the island remained off limits and open to the elements, in many cases rotting and rusting, making a home to geese and giving root to indoor trees.
Through the efforts of the nonprofit Save Ellis Island and other organizations, those buildings have all been sealed up to prevent further erosion and repairs have begun to start opening some to the public. The "new" ferry building is the first success story.
The Art Deco-style "new" ferry building was built in 1936 through the Depression-era Works Projects Administration. It's where immigrants would await the ferry to take them off the island if they had successfully navigated the immigration process.
It will open April 17th for free tours at 10:30a.m., noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. Starting April 24, the tours will be available only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. To take part, you need to sign up at the information desk on the first floor of the Immigration Museum. (For more information, call (973) 347-8400.)
Correction: This item was updated to state that regular Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday tours will start April 24 (not April 18.) The SAE website originally carried inaccurate information.
Earlier: Long-abandoned Ellis Island rooms to open for tours
Ellis Island to open historic ferry building in winter
Exploring secret Ellis Island during Open House NY
NewYorkology Basics: Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
April 10, 2007 10:47 PM in Architecture, Cheap Stuff, Downtown, History, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology, Tours
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