Audio

Journey Through Ellis Island

Over 40 percent of Americans can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island. What did these forebears feel, a century ago, as they sat in the Great Hall of the storied immigration station, waiting to learn their fate? National Park Service Ranger Charles Walker recreates the experience for you.

Problems using the player? Play audio in a new window.

For information on Ellis Island today, and how to visit, see our Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty pages.

Charles Walker has been a National Park Service Ranger at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty for almost 20 years. His lifelong love of history finds daily expression on the job in dramatic storytelling that animates and illuminates the past.