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The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, an agency of the National Park Service, recently announced that construction has begun on the transformation of the National Museum of Immigration into a 21st-century visitor center. This $100 million campaign will enhance the overall museum experience, double the number of immigration records available to the public and help preserve historic sites for future generations.
The project is being led by Highland Associates as the architect; Ralph Applebaum Associates as the exhibit designer; and Phelps Construction Group as the full-service contractor. The announcement follows long-term conservation efforts on the 27.5-acre historic land.
New York and New Jersey have long fought over the rightful heir to Ellis Island. Technically, the destination that serves as a gateway for “the huddled masses yearning to breathe free” is federal land. But that hasn’t stopped New Jersey lawmakers from trying to claim one of New York’s most revered tourist destinations as their own. In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, in fact, 83 percent of Ellis Island was within New Jersey; the remaining percent was New York land.
Despite the controversy, New York and New Jersey officials agree on one thing: The Ellis Island Museum, a building completed by Boring & Tilton in 1893, needed extensive repair work.
After facilitating the immigration of 12 million people, the main Ellis Island building was in poor condition when it was decommissioned in 1954. In 1966, the main Ellis Island building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1971, the island itself was listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. In 1993, the main building was designated a New York City Landmark; the Beyer Blinder Belle initiated a series of renovations there.
In the early 2010s, Phelps was commissioned to add and structurally remodel Ellis Island’s kitchen and laundry room. Recently, the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation commissioned Highland Associates to make much-needed improvements to the 137,000-square-foot historic site. Much of the work entails updating the main immigration building as well as the kitchen and laundry.
There, architects are working with Ralph Applebaum Associates to provide new exhibits, ADA upgrades to public restrooms and improvements to mechanical and life safety systems. Phelps will work with the National Park Service on structural modifications that will have minimal impact on the building.
When completed, the redesigned museum will offer self-guided tours in 12 different languages. The 100,000 square feet of exhibition space is spread over three different floors, showcasing a panoramic timeline of the destination. The third floor is dedicated to the years before Ellis, telling the history of the continent from 1790 to 1880. The second floor tells the story of Ellis Island’s years as a full-service immigration center from 1880 to 1945. The first floor tells the history of Ellis Island. The history of the island extends from 1945 to the present day. In total, the building will contain nearly 100 media works, including film, soundscapes and theater.
Renovations are expected to be completed in 2026.
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