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Island in San Francisco Bay
Photo: Mx. Granger, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
Angel Island is a historic immigration station and military post turned state park in the San Francisco Bay. Sometimes considered the Ellis Island of the west coast, Angel Island was for decades the first place that many immigrants to the United States arrived, especially coming from East Asia. Nowadays it makes an interesting day trip by ferry from San Francisco or Marin County, for hiking and a look around the immigration museums.
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Rotating exhibits about the history of U.S. immigration policy and the Angel Island immigration station, housed in what was once the station's hospital.
Where immigrants were held, sometimes for weeks or months, while authorities decided whether to allow them into the United States. The highlights of this museum are the numerous artifacts belonging to detainees and the poems in Chinese that some of them scratched into the walls (interpretive signs provide translations).
Old military batteries concentrated at the southwest corner of the island. Trails go near them, so you can wander around and go inside if you're interested.
A former military fort, now sometimes home to a living history museum.
From the Embarcadero in San Francisco Golden Gate ferries serve Angel Island a few times a day. Pay with a Clipper card or buy tickets at the ticket office.
Read in the guideHiking or biking are the main options; the island is crisscrossed by hiking trails (some of which allow bikes) and is circled by the Perimeter Road which is used by park service vehicles but is also perfectly fine to…
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