Ellis Island Hard Hat Tour

"Very nice and informative tour, pleasantly surprised actually of how good it was. One of our top highlights from New York Our tour guide Alex was very knowledgeable and funny. She gave us all time to explore, take pictures, and answers all questions. We did the hard hat tour then the Ellis Island immigration museum which made for a very nice day. I would recommend coming in early if you want it check the Statue of Liberty before, since we departed from NY that was our first ferry stop. There is quite a long line for the ferries, so take that into account when booking the hard hat tour. But do not skip Ellis Island !"

"Unforgettable! We started our visit to Ellis Island from New Jersey’s Liberty Park. Parking was plentiful and inexpensive. From the parking lot it was a short walk through the old railway depot to the check-in point. We purchased hard hat tour tickets online earlier that same day. The hard hat tour includes the fare to take the ferry to Ellis Island as well as a trip to see the Statue of Liberty. We sent our bags through the X-ray scanner and walked through a metal detector then boarded the ferry. The ferries from NJ seemed much less crowded than the ones that shuttled folks from Battery Park in NY. There is light refreshment aboard the ferry. When we arrived at Ellis Island we went directly to the Information Desk where the tours meet their guides. When we checkers in they invited us to be on an earlier tour. Yes! The tour guide was excellent. She gave a good history of Ellis Island en route to the area under restoration. Once we got our hard hats we visited the infectious disease wards one the island. They had been abandoned in the mid 1950s. I won’t spoil your visit by reciting all of the things we learned, but we had an outstanding experience. After the tour - about 75 minutes - we were able to visit the rest of the museum, the wall of names (1 million of the 12 million immigrants are listed there). Great tour and museum for those interested in US history, medicine, architecture, abandoned places, and family history."

"This is an exceptional tour. It is an amazing look at the history of immigration to this country and the lengths that were gone to to check the health of those arriving and to then help those that need physical and mental care. The design of the different wards and how they were built way back when is nothing short of visionary. Our guide was Nick. He was excellent. Highly recommend this tour!"

"This tour made the experience so much better. The guide was fabulous. I wanted to get a behind the scenes look at Elllis Island and this was definitely worth the extra fee and the time. Our guide gave us plenty of time to take pictures and roam the rooms that she took us to. I don’t think I would’ve known nearly as much about the history of the buildings and the people who came through Ellis Island if it wasn’t for this tour. The fact that there were only 12 of us on the tour also helped because we were able to ask many questions without feeling rushed. We were on the last tour so when we were done, we were able to still go through the main building, but only had a limited amount of time. If you want to go through the main building and read all of the history, and watch the film then I recommend that you book the tour either early or arrive at the island at least an hour ahead of your tour. We went on the Friday of Christmas week, but I was told that this is always a busy place to visit. We got our tickets online which made the process of getting on the ferry going to the Statue Of liberty Island then catching the ferry to Ellis Island so much easier. And I also recommend getting the tickets at least a few days if not a week early, the tours do seem to sell out depending on the tour company that you buy it from. The view of Manhattan is spectacular in the evening as you are arriving on the ferry."

"We really enjoyed taking the hard hat tour. It was a unique opportunity to see the hospital complex on Ellis Island which is closed to the general public. Our guide Nick was knowledgeable and friendly. I especially enjoyed seeing the morgue, old laundry machines and electrical panels, and TB ward. The views out to the Statue of Liberty were awesome and I enjoyed learning about all the engineering considerations that were implemented to reduce the chances of contagions spreading. The price ($55) was a little steep but the tour was very valuable and the ticket prices go toward conservation of the hospital."