A trip to Ellis Island is as much about the history of New York as it is about the birth of America. Roughly one half of all Americans have at least one ancestor who entered the United States through this famous federal immigration facility. Yet a trip to this notable sight is about more than finding a name. It's a chance to tell the family story, be it of settlers, colonists, Native Americans or immigrants. And while you're on the island take time to tour the museum. Ellis Island Immigration Museum takes great pains to bring the immigrant's story to life. Nothing tells us more about a country than its historic landmarks.