The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation

What The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation does

The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1982 to oversee the restoration, preservation, and ongoing operations of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island monuments in New York Harbor. The foundation acts as the principal fund-raising and programming partner for the National Park Service at both sites, operating the Statue of Liberty Museum, the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, and the American Immigrant Wall of Honor. Its work centers on heritage preservation, public education about American immigration history, and donor-supported stewardship of two of the country's most visited landmarks.

The foundation's product portfolio spans physical visitor services — ferry ticketing, on-site self-service kiosks on both islands, and an on-site retail presence — and a growing suite of digital products. These include an online Arrival Records Collection Search that lets users search digitized Ellis Island immigration manifests for genealogical purposes, an Oral History Project collecting immigrant stories, the 'Views from Lady Liberty' EarthCam webcam, and an interactive American Flag of Faces exhibit accepting photo and story submissions. Recognition and donor-engagement products include the Wall of Honor inscription program, the Liberty Founders Registry, the Ellis Stewards Registry, and an annual Membership Program.

The foundation generates revenue through a diversified non-profit model: ferry ticket sales, online and on-site donations, membership fees, Wall of Honor inscription purchases, and merchandise sales via its online e-commerce shop. It markets primarily through its official website (statueofliberty.org), its blog 'The Torch,' email communications to registered users, and the e-commerce storefront. The organization operates with a small staff of 11–50 employees and is governed by a board of trustees, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or private equity ownership disclosed in available source data.

Name

The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation

Legal name

The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Foundation

Website

https://statueofliberty.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation is a 1982-established 501(c)(3) non-profit that preserves and operates the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island monuments, serving visitors through ferry ticketing, museum experiences, educational resources, an online immigration records search, and donor and membership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Museum and Monument Operations

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB), UNESCO & Protected Landmark Sites (THAJACAI), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Heritage preservation
• Immigration museum
• Genealogy records
• Monument visitor services
• Commemorative merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation operates and funds the preservation of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island national monuments, including the Statue of Liberty Museum and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. It sells ferry tickets for island access, maintains the American Immigrant Wall of Honor and donor registries, runs the online Arrival Records Collection for genealogy research, provides educational resources and an Oral History Project, and sells commemorative merchandise through an online shop.

Product overview

The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation operates as a unified historical monument and museum complex offering visitor experiences (ferry tickets), genealogical research tools (Arrival Records Collection), recognition programs (Wall of Honor, registries), educational resources, and commemorative merchandise. The portfolio includes both digital services (online records search, webcam views) and physical visitor services (museums, ferries, merchandise shop).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Museum Historical monument and museum complex featuring the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, offering educational resources, genealogical records, and visitor experiences for the general public.
• Ferry Tickets

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Constitution Center: Nonprofit chartered by Congress to operate a national heritage and education institution on Independence Mall, funded by admissions, memberships, and donations. Comparable as a federally supported heritage nonprofit.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Nonprofit focused on preserving historic sites across the U.S., operating its own portfolio of historic properties and running membership, donation, and educational programs—closely analogous to the foundation's model.
• Mount Vernon Ladies' Association: Nonprofit that owns, preserves, and operates George Washington's Mount Vernon estate through admissions, membership, and philanthropy. Closely mirrors the foundation's model of stewarding an iconic American heritage site.
• National Park Foundation: Congressionally chartered nonprofit that raises private funds to support National Park Service sites, including monuments like the Statue of Liberty. Directly comparable as a fundraising and program partner for iconic federal heritage assets.
• The National WWII Museum: Congressionally designated museum that operates a major U.S. war memorial site, combining ticketed admission, membership, donations, and educational programming—a near-analog operating model.
• Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello): Nonprofit that operates Monticello as a historic house museum with ticketed tours, membership, donations, and educational programs—closely comparable in scope, audience, and revenue model.
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum: Nonprofit that operates a major U.S. national memorial and museum, funded through ticket sales, donations, and memberships. Highly comparable in scale, audience, and revenue mix for an iconic American heritage site.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: Federally chartered network of museums and research centers operating major U.S. heritage sites with similar programs (education, exhibits, archives), but at a vastly larger scale and portfolio breadth.
• American Museum of Natural History: Major U.S. museum combining ticketed admission, membership, donations, education, and a substantial online presence. Overlaps in operating model but serves a broader cultural/educational mission than a single heritage site.

Emerging players

• Trust for the National Mall: Nonprofit partner to the National Park Service that funds preservation and programming on the National Mall. Comparable in mission and public-private partnership structure, though smaller and focused on a different set of monuments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StatueEllisFdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/StatueEllisFdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-statue-of-liberty---ellis-island-foundation-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation