Visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty With Kids
By Eric Garfinkel on November 20, 2009
Visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is a highlight of any trip to New York City. Ferries depart from Battery Park stopping first at the Statue of Liberty. To complete both the Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty tours will take you 3 or 4 hours, so getting any early start before the lines form at Battery Park is a good idea.
Ellis Island
Purchase a ticket with the audio tour. There is a version designed expressly for children. Begin your experience at Ellis Island with the 30 minute film "Island of Hope, Island of Tears". This film is appropriate for children and it will give your family a great overview of the historic site. Then, using your audio guide move through the building, from the Registry Room, on into the various examining rooms used to screen arriving immigrants. The kid's audio tour explains the screeening process through the eyes of a young person arriving in America as an immigrant.
Kids can look up their family history by checking passenger records of the more than 22 million people who passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924.
The Statue of Liberty
The audio tour for the Statue is also very helpful and there is a kid-friendly family version that you can ask for.
In the base of the Statue, there is a terrific museum about the design and creation of the Lady Liberty with drawings, models and and structural parts, that visitors pass through before descending to the observation area. If you want to visit the Statue's crown, be sure to book the special advance tickets for this. Only 240 visitors per day are allowed to make the journey to the crown.
About Wonder Rotunda
The Wonder Rotunda is an online educational theme park (for ages 7-12) that sparks curiosity, helps kids find their interests and passions, and inspires them to think about making a mark in the world. Topics explored include marine life, space exploration, animal life, classical music, nutrition, American government, globalization, climate change, money and business, the visual and performing arts, film making and climate change. Take the Free Tour.
