clinton

These 3 parks all share the same page because it's practically impossible to visit one without at least taking notice of the other 2.

Simply put, Castle Clinton is now no more than a glorified ticket booth to buy your ticket to the Statue of Libery on the New York side. Originally, it was not actually connected to the island of Manhattan but was an island of it's own that was a major defense fort for the island of Manhattan. In more recent years (the past century) the island of Castle Clinton has been "absorbed" into Manhattan and served a variety of purposes before being bought by the National Park Service to serve as a 'launch' area for the Statue of Liberty.

While I would never recommend making a trip to just solely see Castle Clinton, it does break up the monotony of waiting for the ferry.
Rating: * (one star out of five)

The Statue of Liberty must be visited by every red blooded American.
(Any green-blooded Vulcans should visit it as well.) It's crowded, full of people who don't speak English but it still must be done. The trek up to the top should only be made by people who are in good physical condition and don't suffer from vertigo. Wearing a skirt is also a big no-no as it tends to trip you going up the long circular staircase and trips those behind you on the trip down.
Rating: ***

Ellis Island is a great National Park to visit but only if you have a clue as to what it is. For those of you who don't know, it is the 'gateway' that the immigrants used when coming over from Europe in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Please don't visit it thinking that it's a prison as one person I know did.
Alas, this park is not for those who are only happy when they are actively being amused. There're great exhibits about immigration and there's even a wall that lists many of the families that came through the island. (My Great grandfather Martin is up there.) All in all, its a great place to visit but does require the use of at least a few brain cells.
Rating: **** for people with average IQ or better
Rating * for most of the people who visit (they just don't get it)