Ellis Island Immigration Timeline

(January 1, 1892 – November 12, 1954)

Ellis Island served as the primary immigration station for the United States from 1892 to 1954, processing over 12 million immigrants arriving primarily from Europe. Located in New York Harbor, it became a symbol of hope and new beginnings for millions seeking a better life in America. Today, Ellis Island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and houses the National Museum of Immigration. More Less

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Origins and Early Years

Samuel Ellis purchases the island

1785

Merchant Samuel Ellis purchased the small island in New York Harbor that would later bear his name. He used it for commercial purposes, and after his death his family attempted to sell it to the state of New York, beginning the island's long transformation into a federal site.

Image source: Ellis Island

United States acquires Ellis Island from New York State

1808

The federal government purchased Ellis Island from New York State for $10,000 and built Fort Gibson on the site. The island served as a harbor fortification during the War of 1812 before its later role in immigration.

Castle Garden opens as New York's immigrant landing depot

Aug 1, 1855

Before Ellis Island, immigrants arriving in New York were processed at Castle Garden (formerly Castle Clinton) at the Battery. Over its 35 years of operation, it processed more than eight million immigrants, becoming overcrowded as immigration surged.

Image source: Castle Clinton

Federal government takes control of immigration processing

1890

Congress passed legislation shifting responsibility for immigration from individual states to the federal government. President Benjamin Harrison designated Ellis Island as the new federal immigration station for the Port of New York, ending Castle Garden's era.

Image source: Immigration Act of 1891

Ellis Island Immigration Station officially opens

Jan 1, 1892

The first federal immigration station opened on Ellis Island. Its very first immigrant was 15-year-old Annie Moore, an Irish teenager arriving with her two younger brothers to join her parents. Nearly 450,000 immigrants were processed during the station's first year.

Fire destroys the original wooden immigration station

Jun 15, 1897

A devastating fire burned down the original wooden structures of the immigration station along with decades of immigration records dating back to 1855. No lives were lost, but all immigrants were transferred to the Barge Office at the Battery while a new facility was planned.

New fireproof main building opens on Ellis Island

Dec 17, 1900

A new, larger Main Building designed by architects Boring & Tilton opened, constructed with brick and iron to be fireproof. On its opening day alone, more than 2,000 immigrants were processed through its Great Hall.

Image source: Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital

Island expansion begins with landfill using subway excavation soil

1901

To accommodate growing facilities, the island was dramatically expanded with landfill, including soil excavated during construction of New York City's subway system. The island grew from about three acres to over 27 acres over several decades.

Peak Immigration Era

Ellis Island hospital complex opens

Mar 1902

A hospital pavilion opened to treat sick immigrants, later expanding into one of the largest public health facilities in the country. It treated contagious diseases like trachoma and tuberculosis, and its staff pioneered modern medical practices for infectious disease control.

Record year: over one million immigrants processed

1907

In fiscal year 1907, Ellis Island processed approximately 1.25 million immigrants, its busiest year ever. April 1907 alone saw nearly 200,000 arrivals, driven by economic hardship and persecution in Southern and Eastern Europe.

Peak day sees 11,747 immigrants processed

Apr 17, 1907

On this single record-setting day, inspectors processed 11,747 immigrants through the Great Hall. The sheer volume strained the facility's capacity and highlighted the extraordinary scale of transatlantic migration at its height.

Immigration Act of 1917 imposes literacy tests

Feb 5, 1917

Over President Wilson's veto, Congress enacted a literacy test requiring immigrants over 16 to demonstrate reading ability in their native language. The act also created the 'Asiatic Barred Zone,' sharply restricting immigration and marking a turn toward restrictionist policy.

Ellis Island serves as detention center for enemy aliens during World War I

Apr 6, 1917 - Nov 11, 1918

After the United States entered World War I, Ellis Island was repurposed to detain German merchant mariners and suspected enemy aliens. Immigration slowed dramatically during the war years as transatlantic travel became dangerous.

Image source: Internment of German Americans

Decline and Closure

Emergency Quota Act limits immigration by national origin

May 19, 1921

The Emergency Quota Act established numerical limits on immigration based on nationality, capping annual arrivals from any country at 3% of that nationality's US population in 1910. This began the sharp decline in Ellis Island's immigrant traffic.

Ellis Island transitions primarily to detention and deportation center

1924

With quota restrictions in place, fewer than 3% of arriving immigrants needed inspection at Ellis Island. The facility increasingly served as a detention and deportation center for aliens awaiting hearings or removal rather than a gateway for newcomers.

Immigration Act of 1924 further slashes quotas

May 26, 1924

The Johnson-Reed Act reduced quotas to 2% of each nationality's 1890 population and created national origins quotas favoring Northern and Western Europeans. Consular visa requirements shifted most screening overseas, drastically reducing Ellis Island's role.

Kirkpatrick Memorial Chapel dedicated on Ellis Island

1935

A chapel was dedicated in memory of Reverend John Joseph Kirkpatrick, who had ministered to immigrants on the island for decades. As traffic declined, religious and welfare services remained important for detained immigrants awaiting decisions.

World War II transforms Ellis Island into Coast Guard training base

Dec 1941 - 1945

During World War II, the US Coast Guard took over much of Ellis Island as a training and processing station. The island also again held German, Italian, and Japanese nationals deemed security risks, with roughly 7,000 enemy aliens detained there during the war.

Image source: United States Coast Guard

Postwar use as detention center for deportees and displaced persons

1946 - 1954

After the war, Ellis Island held deportees, displaced persons, and individuals accused of subversive activity during the Red Scare. Notable detainees included alleged Communist Party members facing deportation proceedings under Cold War-era laws.

Ellis Island closes after 62 years of operation

Nov 1954

The federal government formally closed the immigration station, having processed over twelve million immigrants since 1892. The abandoned buildings fell into disrepair, and proposals for redevelopment ranged from housing projects to a world trade center.

Last detainee, Arne Peterssen, is released

Nov 12, 1954

Norwegian merchant seaman Arne Peterssen, detained for overstaying his shore leave, became the last person released from Ellis Island. His departure marked the end of the island's active use as an immigration facility.

Preservation and Museum Era

LBJ declares Ellis Island part of Liberty National Monument

May 11, 1965

President Johnson signed Proclamation 3656 adding Ellis Island to the Statue of Liberty National Monument under National Park Service stewardship, ensuring the historic site would be preserved rather than demolished or redeveloped.

Image source: Statue of Liberty National Monument

Main Building added to National Register of Historic Places

1966

The Ellis Island Main Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its significance as the nation's premier immigration gateway and providing formal protection for the deteriorating structure.

Image source: National Register of Historic Places

Main Building added to National Register of Historic Places

Save Ellis Island restoration efforts begin

1980

With the buildings crumbling after decades of abandonment, preservationists and the newly formed Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation launched fundraising campaigns to restore the Main Building and create a museum honoring America's immigrant heritage.

Image source: Conservation-restoration of the Statue of Liberty

American Immigrant Wall of Honor dedicated

Sep 1990

The American Immigrant Wall of Honor was unveiled outside the Main Building, allowing families to inscribe the names of immigrant ancestors. It grew to become the largest wall of names in the United States, honoring over 700,000 individuals.

Ellis Island Immigration Museum opens to the public

Sep 10, 1990

After a $160 million restoration, the restored Main Building reopened as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Exhibits recreated the immigrant experience, including the Registry Room, dormitories, and personal artifacts donated by immigrant families.

Immigration history center launched with passenger records

1993

Efforts began to digitize millions of ship passenger manifests so descendants could research their ancestors' arrival records. This genealogical database eventually became one of the most popular family history resources in the United States.

American Family Immigration History Center opens with digitized records

Apr 17, 2001

The Family History Center opened, giving visitors access to a database of 22 million passenger records covering arrivals between 1892 and 1924. Visitors could search for ancestors and print copies of original ship manifests and passenger records.

Hurricane Sandy floods Ellis Island, forcing closure

Oct 29, 2012

Storm surge from Hurricane Sandy flooded basements and mechanical systems across Ellis Island, damaging infrastructure and closing the island to visitors for nearly a year. Extensive repairs were required to restore utilities and protect collections.

Image source: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New York

Ellis Island reopens after Hurricane Sandy repairs

Oct 2013

The Main Building and Immigration Museum reopened to visitors following extensive flood mitigation and infrastructure repairs. The reopening restored access to one of the nation's most visited historic sites and its genealogical resources.

Peopling of America Center opens as National Museum of Immigration

May 20, 2015

The museum was renamed the National Museum of Immigration with the opening of the Peopling of America Center, expanding exhibits beyond the Ellis Island era to tell stories of immigration from pre-colonial times through the present day.