Enter Ellis Island’s abandoned hospital on a guided hard hat tour
4 hours
Up to 15 people
Ferry, museum, hard hat tour
Explore the closed south side of Ellis Island with a Save Ellis Island docent and step inside the abandoned hospital complex. Your ticket also includes round-trip ferry service and admission to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
Minimum age is 10, and closed-toe shoes are mandatory. This tour is not accessible for wheelchairs, powered scooters, or walkers.
Free cancellation up to 72 hours in advance for a full refund. No refund for cancellations within 72 hours or no-shows.
Product ID: TEG6S9
The guided portion of the tour is 1.5 hours long. The total length of the experience including the ferry crossing is around 3.5 hours long.
This tour is easy and most people can participate.
Unfortunately, this tour is not ADA accessible.
Information desk located on the ground floor of the Ellis Island Museum
Step onto the grounds of Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration and you step into one of the most consequential chapters in American history. The restored Main Building rises above New York Harbor, its red-brick facade and copper-trimmed towers reflecting the ambitions of the era that built it. Inside, the soaring Registry Room still carries the weight of the more than twelve million people who passed through it. Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration holds their stories in photographs, passenger manifests, and personal belongings that make the past feel immediate and human.
New York history comes alive on these tours, with guides like Richard, Ross, Justin, Laura, and Pete consistently earning praise for their depth of knowledge and engaging storytelling. From the Gilded Age mansions of the Upper East Side to the hidden details of Grand Central Terminal and the Woolworth Building, the tours cover fascinating corners of the city that most visitors never think to explore. Groups of mixed ages seem to enjoy these experiences equally, and several reviewers noted that the content never feels dumbed down or padded out. The guides are clearly passionate about their subjects and happy to field questions along the way. If you're looking for a tour that feels more like a conversation with a knowledgeable local than a scripted walk, this one delivers.
Our group had such a fantastic tour!
Mariclare Rethore
August 26, 2026
Our group had such a fantastic tour!
Mariclare Rethore
August 26, 2026
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