Tenement Museum New York
After touring Ellis Island where hundreds of thousands of immigrants were processed upon their arrival to the New World, you may wish to visit the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. 97 Orchard Street was the first address for nearly 10,000 of these new arrivals between 1863 and 1935. Today the five-story building is a museum and the first-ever National Trust for Historic Preservation site that was not the home of someone rich or famous. Several of the apartments have been meticulously restored and the stories of those who lived there are carefully told by extremely knowledgeable guides who lead daily tours. Each tour focuses on just one family and the times in which they lived.

Those traveling with children will probably want to limit their visit to the tour, "Visit the Confino Family Apartment", where 14 year-old "Victoria" interacts with the children as she explains her circumstances and the objects in the apartment where she lives. Other tours include insights into the two great depressions of the period, and an intimate look at a Jewish family who found work in the local garment industry.