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Ellis Island Closed Until Further Notice
As of June 2013: Due to the conditions caused by Hurricane Sandy, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum will be closed until further notice. A projected reopening date has not yet been established, follow our twitter account for updates. More »
Accessibility
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Visiting Ellis Island Update as of March 20, 2013: Due to extensive damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy, Ellis Island is closed indefinitely. Statue of Liberty will re-open on July 4, 2013. General Park Wheelchair/Handicapped-Accessibility Information Ferries: Statue Cruises personnel provide assistance on the ferry gangways. Aboard the ferries, enclosed areas are available. Rest rooms aboard ferries are not handicapped accessible. Guide/Assistance Animals at Ellis and Liberty Islands: While regular pets are not allowed on either Ellis or Liberty Islands, or on the ferry boats, guide and assistance animals are welcome. Accessibility information at Liberty Island... Wheelchair/Handicapped Accessibility at Ellis Island: - The museum and exterior grounds are wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchair Availability at Ellis and Liberty Islands: An extremely limited number of wheelchairs are available at both Ellis and Liberty Islands (on a first-come, first-served basis). They can be borrowed, free of charge, with the deposit of a driver's license or similar form of I.D., at the Information Desk/Center. More Accessible Services at Ellis Island: - Tactile models of the island are located near the Information Desk. - Large print brochures, in English, are available upon request. - Information in Braille, about Ellis Island's history, may be borrowed at the Information Desk. - Audio description tours specifically for blind and visually-impaired visitors are available from our audio-tour concessionaire. - Elevators are located on both the east and west sides of the main building. - The film, "Island of Hope, Island of Tears", is closed-captioned for hearing-impaired visitors. - An assisted-listening induction loop device may also be borrowed at the Information Desk. Emergency Medical Services: Available on both Liberty and Ellis Islands. Contact any National Park Service employee for assistance. Proper preparedness by those visiting the park with medical conditions can prevent emergencies from occurring. (ie. medicine, food, water etc). For information about programs, services, activities and requests regarding accommodations for People with Disabilities, please contact the park, in writing, or by e-mail, at least twenty one (21) days in advance of your intended visit. Write to: National Park Service, Statue of Liberty National Monument, Liberty Island, NY, NY. 10004. Attn: Superintendent
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Did You Know?
Many government agencies have administered the Ellis Island immigration depot. The Bureau of Immigration, later called the Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS), inspected immigrants. The agency was restructured in 2003 under the new Department of Homeland Security and is now 3 entities : U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services.