Posted on
September 21, 2025
in
Trip Ideas
When magazines publish lists of people’s favorite hobbies, the study of genealogy usually lands in the top ten. From TV shows like “Who Do You Think You Are” to websites like Ancestry.com, tracing your family tree has become a common -- and fascinating -- pursuit. If you’ve been bitten by the family history bug, try paying a visit to a UNESCO-listed Immigration Museum. UNESCO, in conjunction with the International Migration Convention, writes that they seek to “acknowledge, integrate and build awareness” by displaying the contributions, experiences and hopes of the migrant journey.
Our members have already reviewed a number of these museums -- we hope you’ll add your impressions on your next trip.
- Migration Museum -- Adelaide
As their website explains, the Migration Museum “is a place to discover the many identities of the people of South Australia through stories of individuals and communities.” MagdaDH AlexH learned that “millions came (almost ten million people have immigrated to Australia during its colonization history) and transformed this land in an unimaginable way in the course of around two hundred years.”
- Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia received one million immigrants over the course of forty years. beginning in 1928.
Samepenny visited twice in one week “to know two different stories. Firstly the stories of the immigrants who arrived at this building on ships from all over the world, but secondly the stories of the soldiers and sailors who departed from this building to go to Europe and win the great battles of World War II.”
- Cobh Heritage Centre
In Ireland, Cobh is an important site, as over six million people left Ireland from 1848-1950, two and a half million of which set sail from the city. The Cobh Heritage Centre tells the story of people fleeing from the Great Famine and other hardships. Visitors can also check out a statue of Annie Moore, the very first arrival to the newly opened Ellis Island in January, 1892. (Another statue of Annie is displayed at Ellis Island.)
Photo by C.A. Fliedner
- Ellis Island
“If the Statue of Liberty was the symbol of a new life in America, the neighboring Ellis Island was the reality… The Museum on Ellis Island is rather a celebration of the dreams of all those who made it here to seek a new life.” -- Liam Hetherington
Photo by kwasiak
More Things to Do in Ireland, America and Canada
Things to Do in Dublin
Things to Do in New York
Things to Do in Halifax
Posted by Nik’sMom (Terre Grilli)