Above Ellis Island - United States, New York

Located on the Hudson, closer to New Jersey than New York, is Ellis Island. Originally a tiny island of just 3.3 acres, it was enlarged to 27.5 acres by landfill, much of which is believed to be excess earth from the construction of the city's subway system. Over the years it has had many names and uses, but it is best known as being the gateway for immigrants into the United States between the years 1892 and 1954. The very first immigrant to be processed was a 15-year old Irish girl named Annie Moore on 2nd January 1892 and over the next 62 years over 12 million other people from around the world followed suit. Before becoming an immigration centre it played a minor role in US military history and was subsequently used to hold enemy detainees during WWII. It was then opened up to the public and is today home to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, Wall of Honor and American Family Immigration History Centre. The latter is an interactive area where visitors can access the passenger records of 22 million immigrants and crew members to find records of their families' beginnings in the US. You can reach Ellis Island from the same points as for the Statue as Liberty and is one of the city's must-see attractions, whether on foot or from the sky.