THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Step inside the hauntingly beautiful abandoned hospital on Ellis Island and discover the touching stories of nurses who cared for early immigrants. This private guided tour in Jersey City offers a unique look at history and art combined.
Step inside the hauntingly beautiful abandoned hospital on Ellis Island and discover the touching stories of nurses who cared for early immigrants. This private guided tour in Jersey City offers a unique look at history and art combined.
Book with Untapped New York
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Untapped New York · Jersey City, New Jersey
Experience a captivating journey through Ellis Island’s abandoned hospital, guided by untold stories of the nurses who shaped immigrant healthcare. This private tour offers a rare glimpse into the historic wards where compassion met hardship, revealing the enduring legacy of Florence Nightingale's influence on early medical practices in the United States. As you navigate the shadowed hallways and sterile rooms, you'll uncover powerful narratives of care, survival, and resilience. The tour also features JR's evocative art installation, which brings light and perspective to the forgotten spaces within this medical landmark. Located just across from Jersey City, this experience blends history, art, and emotional storytelling, making it a memorable adventure for history buffs, art lovers, and curious travelers alike. Whether you're fascinated by medical history or drawn to off-the-beaten-path locations, this tour provides an intimate connection to a place that once stood at the frontier of immigrant healthcare.
easy.
1.5–2 hours.
Suitable for most fitness levels; involves moderate walking and some stairs.
This tour is suitable for older children and teenagers interested in history, but younger children might find some parts of the hospital unsettling.
Yes, photography is allowed, but use of flash and tripods may be restricted to preserve the space and respect other visitors.
Ferry transportation is available from Liberty State Park in Jersey City to Ellis Island, included in your tour booking details.
Due to the historic nature of the hospital, some areas may not be accessible to visitors with mobility challenges; please contact Untapped New York for specifics.
Comfortable shoes, a small bag, and a light jacket are recommended. A flashlight can also enhance your experience.
Yes, the tour is guided or self-guided with safety measures in place, but visitors should be cautious of uneven floors and stairs.
Ellis Island's hospital was a vital facility from 1902 to 1951, serving millions of immigrants arriving in America and reflecting early 20th-century medical practices.
Efforts are ongoing to preserve Ellis Island’s historic structures while minimizing impact on the surrounding natural waterfront habitats.
Untapped New York is a specialist tour operator based in Jersey City, New Jersey, offering immersive, history-focused experiences across the New York metropolitan area. The company curates guided walking tours, hard hat access trips, private tours, and urban exploration itineraries that reveal hidden architecture, abandoned spaces, and lesser-known cultural stories. Signature experiences include private tours of remnants of Old Penn Station with photographic documentation from noted photographers and railroad historians; Secrets of Grand Central led by award-winning guides; and multiple Ellis Island Hospital hard hat tours that explore century-old contagious disease wards, autopsy rooms, and JR’s "Unframed" exhibition. Other offerings include underground subway explorations, Gilded Age mansions walks along Fifth Avenue, and thematic cultural routes such as NYC’s Irish History Tour. Tours are presented as focused, small-group experiences—private and public—designed for visitors and locals who want deep historical context and rare access. Untapped New York highlights tangible artifacts and architectural remnants, combining storytelling with visual materials to enrich each tour. The company works with specialist guides, photographers, and historians to document locations factually and compellingly. Booking options include private tours and scheduled public departures for select trips. Whether exploring abandoned hospital wards, hidden stations, or the opulent façades of Millionaire’s Row, Untapped New York emphasizes archival research, expert-led narration, and unique on-site photographs to convey the layered history of New York’s built environment. Scheduled experiences feature Remnants of Penn Station, Secrets of Grand Central, Ellis Island Hospital Hard Hat Tours, NYC’s Underground Subway Tour, Fifth Avenue Gilded Age mansion walks.
Book with Untapped New York