Angel Island Immigration Station
Angel Island Immigration Station
Angel Island Immigration Station
4.5
About
Historic station, designed to limit the number of Asian peoples entering California.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
21 within 5 kms
Attractions
649 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
44 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
14
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0
SFBayAreaTrekker
San Francisco Bay Area (CA)563 contributions
Sept 2017 • Friends
We have an opportunity to learn from history. We have so many memorials and monuments to remind us of the strength, stamina, and courage of our country. So many statutes, politically correct and politically controversial, to those who sculpted this nation. The Immigration Station is no different.
Angel Island Immigration Stations was the Ellis Island of the West, with one major exception. It had its duty to enforce the only Congressional exclusion act that took nearly a century to be purged from the law books and stopped being enforced. The Immigration Station is a history lesson in itself for both sides of the political debate.
As other monuments and memorials, Immigration Station shows the perseverance of those who were detained and interrogated before either being deported or admitted into this country. The inscriptions on the walls enable the "walls to speak". These are not limited to immigrants from one country, but many; and those inscriptions changed as the Immigration Station's function changed. Tours can be arranged through the State Park Service.
Getting to the Immigration Station is an experience by itself. You arrive by ferry from either San Francisco or Tiburon. Once you dock, you have a couple of choices - walk about 1.5 miles, take a tram ($), cycle (must secure your bike at the top - roadside). Whatever your choice, you share a nicely paved road.
On a clear day, you are treated with awesome views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
Angel Island Immigration Stations was the Ellis Island of the West, with one major exception. It had its duty to enforce the only Congressional exclusion act that took nearly a century to be purged from the law books and stopped being enforced. The Immigration Station is a history lesson in itself for both sides of the political debate.
As other monuments and memorials, Immigration Station shows the perseverance of those who were detained and interrogated before either being deported or admitted into this country. The inscriptions on the walls enable the "walls to speak". These are not limited to immigrants from one country, but many; and those inscriptions changed as the Immigration Station's function changed. Tours can be arranged through the State Park Service.
Getting to the Immigration Station is an experience by itself. You arrive by ferry from either San Francisco or Tiburon. Once you dock, you have a couple of choices - walk about 1.5 miles, take a tram ($), cycle (must secure your bike at the top - roadside). Whatever your choice, you share a nicely paved road.
On a clear day, you are treated with awesome views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
Written October 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RAINBOW1
Orange County, CA205 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
After researching my family's history and reading the excellent book Island, we came to San Francisco's Angel Island to walk the lonely steps our ancestors trod as they came to this new land, through the Ellis Island of the West Coast.
We took the Blue and Gold Ferry from Pier 41, where the ticket office opened at 9 a.m for the 9:45 departure. We could have taken it from the Ferry Building at 9:15, but there is no ticket office there and you buy the ticket on the boat. We got a sizable senior discount and bought round trip tickets.
We discovered that there is a reasonable pay shuttle that goes to the USIS Immigration Station and you can book it online or at the Angel Island Cafe. ( It is different from the round the island tour, which has an audio commentary. ) We were the only takers on the shuttle, and it saved us from walking the steep steps or the long trail to the Immigration Station. It was $6 round trip.
Even though there was no official tour offered at 11 a.m. when the museum opened on Tuesday, we were treated to a short tour by the excellent California Parks Ranger, Peter O. He pointed out the carvings on the wall which were poems written by the frustrated, lonely, and apprehensive Chinese immigrants who awaited their interrogations. Even though there were few displays in the building, you could imagine how difficult the confinement was for the hundreds who were kept here.
My oldest aunt was one of the first Chinese women translators at Angel Island, so it was an especially meaningful visit for me.
The pay shuttle picked us up at 12:30, and took us back to the Cafe near the dock.
We had a tasty Cubano sandwich at the Angel Island Cafe, and caught the 1:55 ferry back to SF's Pier 41. Many others stayed longer to walk in the scenic woods and to take in the beautiful coastline. The trip across the bay was windy, so bring a jacket.
We took the Blue and Gold Ferry from Pier 41, where the ticket office opened at 9 a.m for the 9:45 departure. We could have taken it from the Ferry Building at 9:15, but there is no ticket office there and you buy the ticket on the boat. We got a sizable senior discount and bought round trip tickets.
We discovered that there is a reasonable pay shuttle that goes to the USIS Immigration Station and you can book it online or at the Angel Island Cafe. ( It is different from the round the island tour, which has an audio commentary. ) We were the only takers on the shuttle, and it saved us from walking the steep steps or the long trail to the Immigration Station. It was $6 round trip.
Even though there was no official tour offered at 11 a.m. when the museum opened on Tuesday, we were treated to a short tour by the excellent California Parks Ranger, Peter O. He pointed out the carvings on the wall which were poems written by the frustrated, lonely, and apprehensive Chinese immigrants who awaited their interrogations. Even though there were few displays in the building, you could imagine how difficult the confinement was for the hundreds who were kept here.
My oldest aunt was one of the first Chinese women translators at Angel Island, so it was an especially meaningful visit for me.
The pay shuttle picked us up at 12:30, and took us back to the Cafe near the dock.
We had a tasty Cubano sandwich at the Angel Island Cafe, and caught the 1:55 ferry back to SF's Pier 41. Many others stayed longer to walk in the scenic woods and to take in the beautiful coastline. The trip across the bay was windy, so bring a jacket.
Written June 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melissa N
Indianapolis, IN57 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
Went here on our trip to San Francisco. Took ferry from on Pier 41 which gives you great views of Alcatraz, Golden Gate, and SF skyline.
Key tip: At the cafe you can pay $7 for a round trip shuttle to the immigration station (much cheaper that island tram ride). Gives you two hours at the site. First shuttle leaves at 10:30. The station museum only takes cash. Admission is $5 for self guided tour.
The station was really well done and provoked a lot of feelings. I liked the bunks and relics that they had collected and video in Mess Hall helped connect to specific people as well. It really connected me to immigration and our current issues with it and reminded me a lot of visiting Dachau in Germany. I highly recommend and personally found the poetry the most touching.
There are great views of the bay from the cove and lots of sailboats were visible the day we went.
We stayed two hours between shuttles which about 30 mins more than we needed. Arrived back in time to eat lunch at cafe and catch the 2:20 ferry back. It was a great day!
Key tip: At the cafe you can pay $7 for a round trip shuttle to the immigration station (much cheaper that island tram ride). Gives you two hours at the site. First shuttle leaves at 10:30. The station museum only takes cash. Admission is $5 for self guided tour.
The station was really well done and provoked a lot of feelings. I liked the bunks and relics that they had collected and video in Mess Hall helped connect to specific people as well. It really connected me to immigration and our current issues with it and reminded me a lot of visiting Dachau in Germany. I highly recommend and personally found the poetry the most touching.
There are great views of the bay from the cove and lots of sailboats were visible the day we went.
We stayed two hours between shuttles which about 30 mins more than we needed. Arrived back in time to eat lunch at cafe and catch the 2:20 ferry back. It was a great day!
Written July 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
flashncrash
Berkeley, CA674 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
For my 200th separate Tripadvisor review the Angel island Immigration Station (AIIS) holds a very special place in my heart and life. It is a reason I am here. There is so much to this place and, yet, there is so much that can be learned. There is a lot of history to AIIS and there is plenty of information on the web and at AIISF.org. My paternal grandparents were detained here as were my mom and her parents. My father-in-law also came through AIIS. Detained is the proper word because of The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 versus the many others from different countries that were only processed here. Some Chinese detainees were held here for days, weeks, even months. The stellar efforts of parks ranger Alexander Weiss and a gentleman by the name of Paul Chow saved the historic barracks from being burned down for the Robert Redford movie "The Candidate". Others were involved in saving AIIS by achieving legislation and I do not want to lessen their contributions. I have been fortunate enough to see the AIIS barracks in its different states over the past 40 years. I remember going inside and seeing many of the carvings in Chinese characters relating the harsh life inside the walls, some partially hidden under paint. I remember the dilapidated conditions and the holes in the floors, the dankness as a result of the place being left to rot and the metal poles that supported the multi-tiered bunks when I first went in the mid-70's. I was there when "Trader Vic" Bergeron unveiled his granite monument in April 1979 as my paternal grandfather was the oldest living detainee that could be located at the time and he showed us the area of his bunk. The barracks also serve as a museum now. I have also had the opportunity to tour the hospital there in the early stages of renovation where they used to have separate entrances for whites and non-whites. (Presently the hospital renovation makes it unavailable for visitors). AIIS is continuing its transformation as the funding comes through so it will be even better each time you visit. The grounds have been greatly improved over the years with the outlines of some of the previous buildings present (the Administration Building burned down in 1940) and there are two walls filled with plaques memorializing those who sought their future in America. The granite monument from Trader Vic was relocated and now sits perched on the hillside near the hospital. There are places to sit and trees to provide shade; it is a great spot for a bring-it-yourself lunch while you are surrounded by such history and on grounds where many of our ancestors first stepped foot in their desire to start a new life in the U.S. AIIS is situated in a cove on the east side of Angel Island with its steep hillsides a deterrent for those thinking of trying to leave as was the island itself. AIIS is located one and one-half miles from Ayala Cove (a very healthy hike) that has access via regular ferry service from Tiburon and SF and with irregular seasonal ferry access from other locations of the East Bay. I will be visiting again next month and apologize for the length of this review but, certainly, much more could be written. Please take the time to visit the Angel Island Immigration Station.
Written June 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jilara
San Jose, California238 contributions
Mar 2013 • Couples
Once the rework and upgrade is done on the Immigration Station (currently underway), this interpretive site is going to be stellar! There is a lot of construction tape and areas are fenced off, but what has been done so far is educational, informative, and sobering. In reading the information on the exhibits (etched into black polished stone), one is aware of the racism and paranoia faced by the Asian immigrants who came seeking a better life, and is tempted to draw analogies. The questioning of the "paper sons," who had to field a truly Kafka-esque gauntlet of interrogation ("How many windows were in your house?"), laid out with photos and IDs, was fascinating. To the east side of the main site is a wall commemorating family members and community, going back to the Gold Rush era. Stop and read stories. I was moved by the story of a woman whose husband had died, who was refused entry when she returned from China. Her children (born in the U.S.) were admitted, but she was held for years.
When you have checked the interpretive stations, head up the hill to the museum. There is a $5 fee, but you can see re-creation of the conditions under which the immigrants were held, and check out interpretive exhibit. See the poignant poems carved into the walls in Chinese. Feel the oppression of the crowded wards where immigrants' bunks were stacked four high, like cordwood. (My husband made a reference to Andersonville.) Check the tiny exercise yard where men were allowed out during the day, then compare it with a prison. (Women were allowed to stroll a limited part of the grounds, under guard. Presumably because they were less liable to make a break for it and swim to the mainland?)
There is a beautiful view from the site, which makes the story all the more poignant. I think everyone should visit and gain perspective on earlier immigration. A wide variety of nationalities passed through here, but the Chinese (regulated by the Chinese exclusion act) had it hardest of all. It makes you truly appreciate what people were willing to endure in order to experience the Dream that was America.
When you have checked the interpretive stations, head up the hill to the museum. There is a $5 fee, but you can see re-creation of the conditions under which the immigrants were held, and check out interpretive exhibit. See the poignant poems carved into the walls in Chinese. Feel the oppression of the crowded wards where immigrants' bunks were stacked four high, like cordwood. (My husband made a reference to Andersonville.) Check the tiny exercise yard where men were allowed out during the day, then compare it with a prison. (Women were allowed to stroll a limited part of the grounds, under guard. Presumably because they were less liable to make a break for it and swim to the mainland?)
There is a beautiful view from the site, which makes the story all the more poignant. I think everyone should visit and gain perspective on earlier immigration. A wide variety of nationalities passed through here, but the Chinese (regulated by the Chinese exclusion act) had it hardest of all. It makes you truly appreciate what people were willing to endure in order to experience the Dream that was America.
Written March 14, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tammyElSobrante_CA
El Sobrante, CA1 contribution
We took our family to see this historic site in fear that the Angel Island State park would be shut down due to state budget cuts. While my first visit was 20 years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the immigration station since it's now been updated. A lot of chinese immigration history was shared by our knowledgeable park guide on our tour. This was so important for our son to learn about because our ancestors came through this very place! The tours are about $5-7. You can take pictures throughout the building and barracks so bring a camera. We hit a nice sunny day, so our pictures came out great! A good pair of walking shoes, water and snacks will get you through the hike (150 steps and a mile trail) from the ferry over to the station. There is a shuttle that you pay a nominal fee if you'd rather ride. Plan on spending a day visiting the station and the park itself. You won't regret it!
Written October 15, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Otwoma
726 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Many people do not realize that the exclusion act made immigrantion difficult for people from Asian countries. When they came to America, some people were interrogated and detained for months and even years. From 1900 to WW2 this is where it happened.
If you go be aware that it is a walk of about a mile and then there is a lot of walking on the site itself. One needs to time the ferry, the walk, the site visit and the walk to return to the ferry. The museum is only open a few days a week. There is no food at the site so it is best to pack a light lunch and water and choose a cool day. All this preparation is worth it as in their angst, the immigrants wrote poems upon the dormitory walls. One can see rooms set up for men and women as families were divided. There is a touching rememberance wall where families have listed their ancestors and some of the difficulties they endured to become Americans.
If you go be aware that it is a walk of about a mile and then there is a lot of walking on the site itself. One needs to time the ferry, the walk, the site visit and the walk to return to the ferry. The museum is only open a few days a week. There is no food at the site so it is best to pack a light lunch and water and choose a cool day. All this preparation is worth it as in their angst, the immigrants wrote poems upon the dormitory walls. One can see rooms set up for men and women as families were divided. There is a touching rememberance wall where families have listed their ancestors and some of the difficulties they endured to become Americans.
Written June 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Destination479655
Kingston, RI11 contributions
Sept 2018
The trip on the ferry to Angel island is a fantastic tour of the bay. Angel Island affords itself of great hikes and an unforgettable visit to the Immigration station. I recommend you read “ Shanghai Girls “ before your visit. It will give you a historical perspective of the Island.
Written October 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
L&B
Austin, TX232 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
If you have family member(s) who went thru this detention center when they arrived in the U.S. and know a bit about what they went thru, this is a place to see. My Grandparents and uncle went thru here and I felt a sense of what it must've been like for them and others. It is a well kept island, the buildings maintained or being worked on and one can walk the trails. They have a computer set up for anyone who wishes to check on a relative whether it be Angel Island, Ellis Island, or any other 1st port of entry as long as you have the correct spelling of the name and where they came from. From this visit, I came away with info on obtaining my grandfather's interrogation papers...Awesome! Marshall, one of the island's rangers is a great guide.
Written May 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trueshrew
Appleton, WI8 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
Do not be fooled by the trail sign for the Immigration Station. The stair trail up the hillside is a doozy. To avoid the tram fare, take the bike trail (not nearly as steep as the stairs) or the road. (If you take a bike or rent a bike, you cannot bring it into the Immigration Station grounds. There's a no bike sign.) The Immigration Station itself is interesting, but it's just one building. Needs to include more stories about the immigrants who were housed there. Plus there's a whole German/Japanese POW story that could be covered better. When the hospital building is completed (c. 2016 based on the sign near it), then a hike to Angel Island Immigration Station would be more worth it.
Written April 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing