Hard Hat Tour of the Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital Complex
Description
Explore the hauntingly beautiful abandoned hospitals of Ellis Island on a 90-minute Hard Hat Tour, offered exclusively by Save Ellis Island. Discover the island’s rich yet overlooked history, as knowledgeable guides lead you through this once state-of-the-art medical facility that treated over a million immigrants. The tour showcases remarkable art installations and the poignant stories of those who sought a better life. This unique opportunity is perfect for history enthusiasts and those interested in America's immigration legacy. - 90-minute guided tour through the historic Ellis Island Hospital Complex - Access to a site closed to the public for over 60 years - Led by experienced guides with deep knowledge of the island's history - Hard hats provided on-site for your safety
Tour Options
Itinerary
Step behind the scenes of Ellis Island on the Hard Hat Tour—a unique, 90-minute guided experience through the abandoned hospital complex, not typically open to the public. Led by Save Ellis Island, this tour takes you into 29 unrestored buildings on the island’s south side, including the contagious disease wards, autopsy rooms, laundry facilities, and staff quarters. Walk in the footsteps of doctors, nurses, and immigrants as you explore eerie corridors and operating rooms once used to care for those arriving in search of a better life. Along the way, you'll see "Unframed"—a haunting art installation by French artist JR that features life-sized historic photos set within the decaying spaces. Your participation supports the ongoing preservation of these historic buildings. This tour is ideal for history lovers, photographers, and anyone seeking a deeper, more powerful connection to America’s immigrant story.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- No children under 10 will be allowed on the tour
- Ellis Island’s south side buildings are over 100 years old and have not yet been restored or updated to current accessibility standards. No ramps are available and portions of the tour include stairs, uneven walking surfaces, and areas that are difficult to navigate. At this time, it is not accessible for guests using wheelchairs, powered scooters, or other mobility equipment that cannot be accommodated along the route. The tour covers approximately 1.5 miles over a 90-minute period and requires sustained walking and the ability to navigate uneven surfaces and stairs safely. Guests with concerns are encouraged to contact us in advance so we can discuss the tour conditions and help determine whether the experience is appropriate.
Reviews(187)
Amazing tour with Irwin!!!! So informative and moving. He is a passionate tour guide who makes the experience special and engaging. Highly recommend.
Check in was quick and Irwin was a terrific tour guide. He provided a detailed history of Ellis Island and showed us around the old hospital wards there
Melissa was absolutely incredible! What a wonderful and interesting experience. Cannot recommend this highly enough! I love visiting old hospitals and this was easily the best I've ever experienced. I arrived early to explore the ellis Island museum which gave good context to the experience.
Sebastian did a great job it was very informative and quite unique. Highly recommend!
Terrific tour into the abandoned hospital - which you think will be dire and terribly sad but it isn’t. Ellis Island was helping people to stay - only 2% were deported! Very enlightening.
Fascinating tour behind the scenes. Irwin was a wonderful guide with so much insight and knowledge
Jessie gave my girlfriend and I a fantastic tour! She was charming, entertaining, and answered all our questions. Definitely a worthwhile tour with plenty to see and learn.
I was genuinely so impressed by this tour. Our guide Melissa did such a great job, the info was so interesting, and the buildings were really cool to see. The ticket proceedings also fund saving the historic buildings, highly recommend!
I learned so much about Ellis Island. Wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Thank you, Melissa for a great tour!
Fantastic 90 minute small group tour of the abandoned hospital on Ellis Island. Jessie made the history of this place come alive. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history and wanting to have real insight into the first steps taken on the Americans dream.
