Another day of beautiful weather in New York, and we decided to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Respectively these two islands are home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
When you see the Statue of Liberty in real life, it truly is an amazing sight to behold. Gifted to America by the French as a symbol of freedom, you can’t help but think about all of the immigrants who arrived in New York via this route, dreaming of a new life, and the opportunity that this new country offered. Certainly, the fortunes of those who did succeed in gaining entry into the United States varied considerably, but the hope that they must have all felt when they saw the Statue of Liberty must have been something else.
The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.
The view of the Manhattan skyline from Liberty Island is quite spectacular. Photos don’t really do it justice.
You realise just how huge New York really is when you have a view like this, and notice that Brooklyn’s skyline alone is denser and taller than many other stand-alone cities in the world.
Ellis Island was the gateway for millions of immigrants into the United States and was the USA’s busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1924. The museum of immigration has been open since 1990 and is housed in the Beaux-Arts main building, which includes the “Great Hall” where many immigrants were processed. It’s a fascinating museum, with a lot of information about what exactly happened when immigrants were processed and there are a lot of artefacts and restored rooms to look at, which gives you a real sense of place.
