Stairs of Separation - Three Ways Down
A stop on Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a free self-guided tour.
When their inspection was over, immigrants left the Great Hall down one of three staircases, and each led to a different future. The stair on the left as you look down led to the ferry for Manhattan. The one on the right was for people heading to trains for New Jersey and beyond, or who needed to change money or buy a ticket first. The center stair was the hard one: it took those held back for more medical or legal checks.
Families sometimes split here, some heading on while others waited days, or even weeks, to learn their fate.
You may have heard that officials changed people's names at Ellis Island. It is a popular legend, but historians say it did not happen: inspectors worked from passenger lists written up at the port of departure. Many immigrants did change their names, but usually later and by their own choice, often when they became citizens.
Walk down the stairs yourself and picture which way your own family went.
Getting here: Follow the signs from the Registry Room to the Stairs of Separation, which lead back down toward the Baggage Room.
Did you know?: Annie Moore, the first immigrant processed at Ellis Island, was given a 10-dollar gold coin to mark the occasion.
Photo op: From the top step, frame the three staircases side by side as they drop toward the ground floor.
Nearby: Restrooms and the cafe are in the main building.
More on Wikipedia: Ellis Island · Immigration to the United States
Stops on this tour
- Castle Clinton - The Fort Before Ellis Island
- Statue City Cruises - Through Security and Aboard
- Statue of Liberty Museum - The Torch at Eye Level
- Liberty Island Promenade - Walking Around the Star
- Statue of Liberty Pedestal - Inside the Base
- Ellis Island - The Nation's Front Door
- Registry Room - Inside the Great Hall
- Stairs of Separation - Three Ways Down
- American Immigrant Wall of Honor - Names by the Water
- Return Ferry - Lower Manhattan Up Close