Last summer I got to experience Ellis Island as an event space. This is a venue that I have never had to consider for any of my programs but I've often heard it is a popular choice for wedding or lavish galas. However, my first question about doing an event on Ellis Island is, "How do I get there?"

By attending this event, I got to experience Ellis Island as a great venue - particularly during warm weather. I took the 4/5 line to the Bowling Green stop, then walked through Battery Park to get to the Statue Cruises dock. From there, I hopped on a ferry to Ellis Island. It was that easy and I never knew it! And it was such a nice day and a nice ride, that I ended up taking beautiful pictures of the Wall Street skyline.

As we approached Ellis Island, there stood the stunning Main Building which houses the Immigration Museum. Coming from the water, I was impressed with our arrival to Ellis Island. If a gala or premiere was held here, I could definitely see a red carpet and special lighting feature on the dock to guide guests inside.

Once inside the lobby of the main building, we headed up a staircase to the main hall. This would have been the same route that immigrants would have checked in back then. The main hall was divided in sections to create lines leading to the other side where inspectors checked papers, and assigned to you your next checking point. The main hall is now the event space on the second floor.

A stage can also be set up in the main hall, with a sound system provided by their preferred AV vendor. At this event, we watched a performance of a few songs from the the musical, Hamilton. Clearly this event has an Americana theme to it.

Despite having the core of the event in the main hall for receptions and banquets, groups could also have access to the immigration museum with docents. The Immigration Museum shows what the process for entry into the U.S. was like in the past, And if immigrants were denied, the museum's docents explain the reasons why.

During this event, I was also impressed with the catering, provided by Sterling Affair. I loved the set up of the bars and the food stations but I also loved the variety of passed appetizers that were offered. Everything was delish!