Why go
The stairs from the baggage area to the Great Hall were part of the screening route. Doctors watched how people moved and looked for signs of illness. Understanding that sequence helps visitors see an ordinary passage through the building as a consequential medical checkpoint.
The full story
The United States Public Health Service ran the station’s medical work, including its hospital wards and examinations in the Main Building. Doctors observed people climbing from the baggage area, checking movement and visible signs of illness. They sometimes used a buttonhook to examine eyes for disease. A chalk letter on clothing directed a traveler to further examination; it did not by itself settle whether that person would enter the United States. Some marks referred to a body part, while others indicated a suspected condition. The same system also reflected the assumptions of its period, including judgments that treated disability and mental difference as reasons for suspicion. A closer examination could lead to treatment in the immigrant hospital or to a decision about admission. As you move from the stairs into the Registry Room, follow the route a passenger took before any formal interview began.