Question of the Day - 06 February 2026

Actually, there's no connection to Ellis Island in New York Harbor, which operated as an immigration processing center from 1892 to 1954 in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Liberty Island is just south of Ellis Island; they've both been part of Statue of Liberty National Monument since 1965, when Ellis was added, 40 years after the statue was designated a national monument by President Calvin Coolidge. 

Rather, Ellis Island is named after Ellis Island, Illinois. Frank Ellis opened Ellis Island in 1967 and named it after his hometown. Interestingly, there's no evidence that Ellis Island in Illinois had any connection to the Ellis family that migrated from there to Las Vegas. 

The confusion is understandable and frankly, the name probably helps the place stick in people’s minds. But there’s no historical or thematic link to the federal site.

Today, Ellis Island is owned and operated by Frank's son Gary and his granddaughters Christina, director of marketing, and Anamarie, director of player development.