Registry Room - Inside the Great Hall

A stop on Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a free self-guided tour.

Climb to the second floor and step into the Registry Room, also called the Great Hall. It is 200 feet long and 100 feet wide, with a ceiling 56 feet high, and on busy days in the early 1900s it was packed with thousands of people waiting their turn.

The inspection began before people even reached this room. In the early years, doctors watched new arrivals climb the stairs from below, looking for anyone short of breath or limping. If they suspected a problem, they chalked a letter on the person's coat, such as E for eyes, and sent them for a closer exam. Next came a legal inspector, who checked each answer against the ship's passenger list. For most people it took a few hours, and only about 1 to 2 percent were sent back.

Now look up. After the 1916 Black Tom explosion damaged the roof, the Guastavino company built this vault of interlocking tiles, and when the hall was restored in the 1980s, only a handful needed replacing.

Getting here: From the Baggage Room, climb the stairs to the second floor of the main building.

Did you know?: The Guastavino tile vaulting method came from Spain with Rafael Guastavino, whose firm also built the tiled ceiling of the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal.

Photo op: From the third-floor balcony, capture the full sweep of the hall, its hanging flags and its tiled ceiling.

Nearby: Restrooms are inside the main building, and the Ellis Island Cafe is in the same building.

More on Wikipedia: Rafael Guastavino · Black Tom explosion

Registry Room - Inside the Great Hall

Stops on this tour