Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Often called Canada’s Ellis Island, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is set inside the historic waterfront terminal where nearly one million immigrants took their first steps into the country between 1928 and 1971. The museum uses this very gateway to tell a deeply personal national story, tracing the physical journey of arrival through interactive exhibits, oral history booths, and recreated ship cabins. Beyond its role as a departure hub for half a million Canadian troops during World War II, the site remains a living archive. Visitors can browse a vast collection of immigration records at the on-site family history center, where researchers help trace personal ancestral connections to the pier, making a visit here both a national history lesson and a private pilgrimage.