LOWER MANHATTAN — Thousands of artifacts, from a time when Ellis Island was the first stop for millions of immigrants who traveled to America, are finally journeying back to the island's museum.
The scores of turn-of-the-century relics — including immigrant children's shoes, steamship tickets and an Ellis Island inspector's uniform — were removed from the museum in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Almost three years later, they are making their return trip to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration tomorrow, from a storage facility in Maryland, the National Park Service announced Wednesday.
The artifacts, along with more than 1 million archival documents, were unscathed by the storm, but they had to be taken out as the museum's damaged electrical and mechanical infrastructure were replaced, officials said. Nearly $40 million were spent to move the systems above flood levels.
Over the next few weeks, the artifacts will be reinstalled into the museum's collections, and on view to the public. The full selection should be complete by December, the museum said.
“These personal artifacts, many donated by individual families from across the country, truly bring the immigrant experience to life, and we know visitors will be delighted to see them again on display at Ellis Island,” said Stephen Briganti, president and CEO of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc, in a statement.
For more information about the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, head here.
