An icon of mythical proportions for the descendents of those who passed through here, this island and its hulking building served as New York’s main immigration station from 1892 until 1954, processing the amazing number of 12,000 individuals daily, from countries including Ireland, England, Germany and Austria. The process involved getting the once-over by doctors, being assigned new names if their own were too difficult to spell or pronounce, and basically getting the green light to start their new, hopeful and often frighteningly difficult lives here in the teeming city of New York. In its later years, after WWI and during the paranoia of the ‘Red Scare’ in this country, the immigration center became more of a de facto holding pen for newcomers believed to be radical threats to the US. After admitting its last arrival in 1954 (a Norwegian merchant seaman), the place closed due to changes in immigration law coupled with rising operating costs.

Now anybody who rides the ferry to the island can get a cleaned-up, modern version of the historic new-arrival experience, thanks to the impressive Immigration Museum that’s housed in the massive, beautifully detailed, red-brick structure. It was reopened in 1990 after a $160 million restoration project, and now lets you explore the history of the island through a series of interactive galleries. The exhibits emphasize that, contrary to popular myth, most of the ship-borne immigrants were processed within eight hours and that conditions were generally clean and safe, especially for 1st- and 2nd-class passengers, who were processed on board their ships; only immigrants from the steerage class were subject to whatever conditions prevailed on Ellis Island. The 338ft-long registry room, with its beautiful vaulted tile ceiling, is where the polygamists, paupers, criminals and anarchists were turned around and sent back from whence they came. Walking through the roomy, light-filled registry today is probably quite a contrast to the reality faced by thousands of newly arrived foreigners back in its heyday. But you’ll experience a new kind of crowding, as about two million people now visit Ellis Island annually.

To get the most out of your visit, opt for the 50-minute self-guided audio tour ($8, available from the museum lobby). Featuring narratives from a number of sources, including historians, architects and the immigrants themselves, the tour brings to life museum's hefty collection of personal objects, official documents, photographs and film footage. It's an evocative experience to relive personal memories – both good and bad – in the very halls and corridors in which they occurred. If you don't feel like opting for the audio tour, you can always pick up one of the phones in each display area and listen to the recorded, yet affecting memories of real Ellis Island immigrants, taped in the 1980s. Another option is the free, 45-minute guided tour with a park ranger (also available in American Sign Language).