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Visit Liberty & Ellis Islands

What you need to know, support the monuments.

Since the 1980s, the nonprofit Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation has partnered with the National Park Service to restore and preserve the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Click HERE to learn more and support our mission.

Before You Go

Visit the National Park Service and Statue City Cruises websites for the latest information about operating hours and ticket availability.

PLAN YOUR VOYAGE

How to purchase tickets.

Statue City Cruises is the ONLY vendor authorized to provide tickets and transportation to Liberty and Ellis Islands. No other ferry company can give you access to the Islands, monuments, and museums. Additional tickets are not needed to enter the Statue of Liberty Museum or Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.

• To purchase tickets in advance, Go to StatueCityCruises.com or call 1-877-523-9849 (877-LADY-TIX).
• Tickets can be purchased in person at the Statue City Cruises ticket booths located in Castle Clinton in Battery Park (NYC) or at the ferry departure point in Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

Ferry schedules change seasonally and during periods of high tourism. Up-to-date schedules are posted on the Statue City Cruises website. To guarantee entry, purchasing tickets in advance is recommended.

Check out our blog post “The ONLY Way to Liberty Island.”

What's Included With Your Ticket

• Round-trip ferry service with stops at Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
• Access to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration and the Statue of Liberty Museum.
• Self-guided audio tours, which can be picked up on each Island. Content is available in 12 languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. A family-friendly tour is also available, as are an American Sign Language (ASL) version and an Audio Descriptive (AD) version.

Find the Ferry

The ferry at battery park new york, ny.

Link to map of Battery Park  

• Local 1 (7th Avenue Line) to the last stop – South Ferry
• Express 4 or 5 (Lexington Avenue Line) to Bowling Green
• Local R/W train from Brooklyn/Queens (Broadway Line) to Whitehall Street
• M1, M6 or M15 to South Ferry (last stop)
• From the East Side take the FDR Drive South to Exit 1, South Ferry/Battery Park
• From the West Side take the Westside Highway South (Route 9A) to Battery Park
• NOTE: Street and private garage parking is limited in the Battery Park neighborhood

The Ferry at Liberty State Park Jersey City, NJ

Link to map of Liberty State Park  

• Take exit 14-B off the New Jersey Turnpike; follow signs to Liberty State Park
• Ample parking is available in Liberty State Park, for a nominal fee

By Public Transportation:

• Take the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) to the Liberty State Park Station; walk or bike one mile along Audrey Zapp Drive to the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal in Liberty State Park
• The HBLR is accessible via PATH at the Hoboken Station or Newport (Jersey City) Station

WHAT TO EXPECT

Liberty island.

Liberty Island is home to a beautiful park, an innovative museum, and America’s most iconic symbol of promise and possibility. As you explore the grounds, take in Lady Liberty from different angles noting her design details and how her appearance changes with the light.

The Statue of Liberty Museum is an experience unto itself. Full of incredible exhibits, the Museum gives color and context to the Statue and houses her original torch. Before you depart Liberty Island, be sure to visit the Liberty Vista atop the Museum for breathtaking views of the Statue and New York Harbor.

No additional ticket is needed to visit the museum.

Visitors to Ellis Island are given a unique view of American history. Beautifully restored to its peak operating period, the main building allows park-goers to step into Ellis Island travelers’ shoes for a sense of the immigrant journey.

At the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum, voyages come to life through a stunning collection of artifacts. Exhibits chronicle America’s immigration history from the 1500s through to today.

Visit the American Family Immigration History Center , located on the first floor, to discover your connections to Ellis Island. And while walking the grounds, explore The American Immigrant Wall of Honor , which celebrates immigrants of all eras.

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Last updated: June 3, 2024

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There are many aggressive, unauthorized ticket sellers who will try to sell tickets to the Statue of Liberty near Battery Park in NYC. These individuals will often try to scam people through misrepresentation and over-charging. We highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance. The only on-site location to purchase authorized tickets is the Statue City Cruises official ticket office inside Castle Clinton in The Battery. Plan ahead if possible, and avoid these scammers selling overpriced and/or fake tickets.

National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Passes

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This park has a timed entry system. You may need to make a reservation in advance.

Reservations and timed entry

You may need to pay for parking, or for a shuttle, ferry, or other transportation while visiting the park.

More about parking/transportation fees

Reservations and Timed Entry

Statue of liberty- general admission reservation, statue of liberty - pedestal reservation, statue of liberty - crown reservation, 2024 free entrance days in the national parks.

Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees may apply). Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free dates:

• Monday, January 15 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 20 — First Day of National Park Week
• Wednesday, June 19 — Juneteenth
• Sunday, August 4 — The Great American Outdoors Act
• Saturday, September 28 — National Public Lands Day
• Monday, November 11 — Veterans Day

Last updated: March 14, 2024

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Receiving Office 1 Ellis Island Jersey City, NJ 07305

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• 17 Things to Know Before Visiting the Statue of Liberty National Monument

Jennifer Melroy

• Last Modified July 25, 2020
• First Published on March 28, 2020

Standing proudly in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty is an iconic site. Lady Liberty has proudly stood watch over the harbor since 1886. The Statue of Liberty is an iconic statue and a world-famous symbol of freedom. Every year, millions of people view this iconic statue and visitors to Statue of Liberty National Monument step back in time to revisit our nation’s early period of immigration and freedom. Here are 17 things to know before visiting the Statue of Liberty National Monument .

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New York Ferry Service

New jersey ferry service, national park passes are not valid for entrance, there are different types of tickets, get your tickets as far in advance as possible, it’s quite a climb to the statue of liberty crown, access to the torch is prohibited, book an early tour, it is open every day but thanksgiving and christmas, be prepared for airport-style security, store your valuables and bags before heading into the pedestal or crown, the statue of liberty was a gift from france, the statue’s pedestal was funded by a viral marketing campaign, the statue wasn’t always green, you can see the original torch, elis island is included in your statue of liberty ticket, many americans can trace their family history to ellis island, there are additional national park sites nearby.

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You can visit from New York or New Jersey

The Statue of Liberty National Monument can be visited from either New York or New Jersey. The statue is located on Liberty Island. The only way to access Liberty or Elis Island is via the ferry service offered by Statue Cruises . Private vessels are NOT allowed to dock at Liberty or Elis Islands.

The New York Ferry Service departs from Castle Clinton National Monument (an NPS unit) in Battery Park. Battery Park is at the lower end of Manhattan.

The New York Ferry stops at Liberty Island then Elis Island before returning to New York.

It is recommended that you take public transportation to Battery Park as parking is very limited and very expensive. Battery Park can be reached via subway and bus.

Reach Battery Park by Subway

• Line 1 to South Ferry
• Line 4 to Bowling Green
• Line 5 to Bowling Green
• Line R to Whitehall St.

Reach Battery Park by Bus

• M5 to South Ferry
• M15 to South Ferry
• M20 to South Ferry

The New Jersey Ferry Service departs from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ

The Jersey Ferry stops at Elis Island then Liberty Island than returns to New Jersey.

Liberty State Park is best reached by driving. Parking is available for a fee. Public transportation is available via the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail BUT the station is a 1-mile walk from the ferry.

Entrance to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Elis Island is technically FREE. The only way to access the islands is via Statue Cruises which is the official ferry provider.

As Statue Cruises is a concessionaire, the America the Beautiful Pass does NOT cover the ferry ticket, entrance to the Statue of Liberty pedestal or crown, or Elis Island Hospital Tour.

There are four types of tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Elis Island. All the tickets come with access to Liberty and Ellis Island. Due to the popularity of visiting the crown, a maximum of 4 tickets can be purchased in an order. Advanced reservations are recommended for all ticket types.

• Reserve Ticket – The reserve tickets are the most limited option that includes an audio tour of Liberty and Ellis Island, plus priority entry into the screening facility queue at the departure point. If you book this ticket, ask at the ticket counter when you pick up your ticket and see if any walk-up pedestal tickets available.
• Pedestal Reserve Ticket – The Pedestal Reserve Tickets includes the benefits of the reserve ticket option and access to the Fort Wood section of the pedestal. There are about 2,400 pedestal reserve tickets a day.
• Crown Reserve Ticket – The Crown Reserve Tickets are very limited in availability and these tickets provide access to the crown of the Statue of Liberty plus pedestal and museum access. There are about 500 Crown Reserve Tickets a day.
• Hard Hat Reserve Ticket – The Hard Hat Reserve Tickets include a 90 minute guided to the unrestored southern side of Elis Island. This tour includes access to the Ellis Island Hospital and the “Unframed – Ellis Island,” Art Exhibit by renowned French artist JR.

Wheelchair users should note that the Statue of Liberty outdoor observation deck, balcony, and crown are NOT wheelchair accessible. The Hard Hat tour on Elis Island is not wheelchair accessible either.

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The Statue of Liberty is a popular tourist attraction for those visiting New York City and the monument has been getting 4 million-plus visitors a year. Statue of Liberty tickets are at a premium and tickets sell out fast.

There are about 10,000 tickets available every day.

• Reserve Ticket – There are about 6500 reserve tickets. About 4,000 are for a New York departure and 2,500 for a New Jersey departure.
• Pedestal Reserve Ticket – There are about 2,900 Pedestal Reserve Tickets a day.
• Crown Reserve Ticket – There are about 500 Crown Reserve Tickets a day.
• Hard Hat Reserve Ticket – There are about 84 Hard Hat Reserve Tickets.

Tickets are generally released six months in advance and it is recommended that you book your crown tickets at least 3-4 months in advance.

The Statue of Liberty is 305 ft or 20 stories tall from the foundation to the top of the torch. The Crown can only be reached by climbing a double-helix spiral staircase. It is 377 steps from the base of the pedestal to the crown. There is NO elevator past the top of the pedestal.

This is a strenuous climb that isn’t for everyone. Here are a few things you need to know about making the climb to the Statue of Liberty Crown.

• The staircase is steeper than most modern staircases
• The steps are only 19 inches wide.
• If you are taller than 6 ft, you need to watch your head. There isn’t a lot of clearance.
• The inside of the statue can be upwards of 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature.

There is NO public access to the Statue of Liberty’s torch. Despite popular belief, access to the arm and torch is not related to structural damage from wear and tear. The structural damage that closed the torch was due to German sabotage during World War I.

On July 30, 1916, a munitions depot on the nearby island of Black Tom experienced a series of small fires. At the time the depot was storing some 2,000,000 of small arms and artillery ammunition and 100,000 pounds of TNT. The explosion resulting from the fire caused an earthquake that measured between 5.0 and 5.5 on the Richter scale and the detonation wave broke windows upwards of 25 miles away and knocked fireman off their feet. Fragments from the explosion travel long distance and some were lodged in the Statue of Liberty causing the structural damage that closed the torch. It was determined that German agents had set the fires.

This act of German sabotage was designed to stop the US from selling arms and munitions to Germany’s enemies. In the end, the Black Tom explosion help shift public opinion against Germany eventually led the US’s entry to World War I.

There is a lot to explore when visiting the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Visitors should plan on spending five to six hours between touring Liberty and Ellis Island,

We highly recommend booking your ticket for as early in the morning as possible so you can maximize your visit.

Liberty Island is open every day of the year but Thanksgiving and Christmas. Access to Liberty Island may also be impacted as a result of inclement weather.

Security at Statue of Liberty National Monument is tight. Basically, be prepared for airport-style security before boarding the ferry to Liberty Island and a secondary screening before entering the Statue of Liberty Museum and Pedestal. A reserve ticket allows you priority entry into the boarding queue.

The following items are not allowed on the ferry. There are no storage lockers available at either screening location in Liberty State Park or Battery Park.

• All weapons, including: firearms, explosives, mace, knives and any “dual-use“ items that could be dangerous.
• Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), drones and other similar remote-controlled flying devices or vehicles.
• Suitcases, carry-on luggage, coolers, and other large parcels
• Face masks and/or costumes that are designed to conceal the identity of a person are prohibited.

Only the following items are permitted inside the Statue of Liberty Pedestal or Crown.

• Camera / Cellphone – No camera bags or cases allowed
• Water in a clear plastic bottle
• Any necessary medication

Lockers are available at secondary screening locations for .25 cents. A change machine is also available that accepts $1 and $5 bills. The following common (but not limited to) items must be secured in a locker: keys, writing instruments, purses, large umbrellas, camera cases, backpacks, shopping bags, any food and drinks, and any item that may impede progress on the staircase.

The Statue of Liberty was a joint project between France and the United States. The statue was designed as a symbol of friendship between the two nations. It was agreed that the American people would fund the Statue’s pedestal and the French people would fund the Statue and its assembly.

The monument was proposed by Frenchman Edouard de Laboulaye in 1865. A decided later, sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence and was named “Liberty Enlightening the World.”

As Bartholdi designed this massive colossal copper sculpture, he realized he needs an engineer to address the structural issues. He commissioned Eiffel Tower designer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel to design the internal support framework. The Statue was finished in July 1884 and shipped to the US in 214 crates. The boxes arrived in New York in June 1885, but assembly wouldn’t start until the spring of 1886.

Raising the funds to build the Statue’s Pedestal wasn’t an easy task. Funding efforts began with the auction of art and manuscripts such as poet Emma Lazarus’s poem “The New Colossus” including the iconic lines: “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

These early efforts didn’t raise enough money to fully fund the project. In a blow to the project, both Congress or New York Governor blocked funding bills. Both Boston and Philadelphia offered to fund the statue as long as the statue was built in their city.

Joseph Pulitzer didn’t want the statue relocated. Pulitzer used his newspaper, The New York World, to launch a fundraising campaign to raise the need $100,000. He pledged to print the name of every contributor in his newspaper. The campaign was a MASSIVE success. It only took six months to raise the money. Donations poured in from across the United States. In the end, over 125,000 people donated to the fundraiser from across the US. Donations ranged from five cents donated by a poor office boy to $15 from a rival city’s home for alcoholics.

The Statue of Liberty spent the first few decades of changing color. The Statue was a shinny brown copper color when it arrived from France. As the decade passed the copper underwent a chemical reaction and formed a layer of mineral cuprite which as a dull pinkish-red hue. This reaction was caused by a combination of air pollution and oxidation. Further chemical reactions changed the mineral cuprite into tenorite which is black in color.

In 1900, the tenorite had further oxidized and reacted with the sulfuric acid in the air and started to become a blue-green. By 1906, the entire Statue had developed this blue-green patina. This iconic blue-green patina is the final stage of these chemical reactions and hasn’t changed in more than a century.

In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was closed for extensive renovations. During the renovations, it was found that the original torch had been leaking water since the 1916 explosion repairs. It was decided to replace the original torch with a replicate with a 24-karat gold flame.

Even with the torch replacement and renovations, the public is still unable to access the torch. The original torch has been placed in the Statue of Liberty Museum. Visitors can walk around the torch and enjoy the history.

Ellis Island is included your ticket to the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Depending on your ticket, Elis Island is your first ferry stop or your second ferry stop. Ellis Island was the busiest immigration inspection station from 1892 to 1954.

Elis Island was in operation for 62 years. During that time, 12 million immigrants passed through the island. It is estimated that 40% of Americans can trace their ancestry back to Elis Island. The island was the site of the first Federal immigration system.

Visitors to Ellis Island can search and trace their family history at the American Family Immigration History Center.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument is not the only National Park Service Site in the New York / New Jersey area. If you are planning on renting a car or using public transportation, these sites are only minutes away.

The Lower Manhattan area is home to multiple sites including:

• African Burial Ground National Memorial
• Castle Clinton National Monument
• Federal Hall National Memorial
• Governors Island National Monument
• Stonewall National Monument
• Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

Other nearby parks include:

• Alexander Hamilton Grange National Memorial
• Fire Island National Seashore
• General Grant Memorial
• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
• St Paul’s Church National Historic Site
• Thomas Edison National Historic Park

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To learn more about the people who call these lands home, I invite you to explore Native Land .

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Last Updated on 25 Jul 2020 by Jennifer Melroy

How to Visit the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

March 22, 2021 February 22, 2021 | Sophie Nadeau

This post may contain affiliate links. Please check out my privacy policy and disclosure for more information.

Last Updated on March 22, 2021 by Sophie Nadeau

If there’s one place which is most well-known in NYC, it’s probably the State of Liberty on Ellis Island. Towering at 93 meters when including the base and torch, the colossal Statue dates back to the 19th-century and can be seen from all across New York Harbor. Here’s your ultimate guide on how to visit the Statue of Liberty, as well as what tickets to purchase and travel tips you should know about prior to your visit.

Editor’s note: If you are looking for the easiest way to visit the Statue of Liberty, in the least amount of time, then I highly recommend booking a guided visit. This will save you planning time, and a single price tag will cover the cost of a ferry, island visits, and all the timings will be planned for you. Book a guided visit of the Statue of Liberty here.

Otherwise, if you want to plan your own visit, then a simple ferry ticket for Liberty Island and Ellis Island can be booked here.

There are two places to take the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island from the land. Ferries from Battery Park, New York stop at Liberty Island first and then at Ellis Island; meanwhile ferries departing Liberty State Park, New Jersey stop at Ellis Island first and then Liberty Island second.

Fun facts about the Statue of Liberty

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Before diving into exactly how to visit the Statue of Liberty, I thought it might at first be fun to cover exactly what the statue is and why it is where it is in the New York Harbor. Many visitors don’t know this, but the official name for the Statue of Liberty is actually “Liberty Enlightening the World”.

The Statue of Liberty represents the Roman goddess of freedom known as Libertas and was actually a gift to the United States from France in 1886. Indeed, several Statue of Liberty replicas can be found across the French capital city of Paris today.

Located on Liberty Island, New York City, the only way to visit the symbol of freedom statue is via a cruise run by Statue Cruises from Battery Park in New York City and from Liberty State Park in New Jersey. No other companies are permitted to take passengers to Liberty Island.

The cost of ferry tickets also cover the cost of a ferry ticket to Ellis Island, which was once the first port of call for around 12 million immigrants arriving in the United States of America. Today, Ellis Island operates as a museum.

The price of some Statue Cruises’ tickets give you access to ferries, the grounds, the museums, and audio guides on the island. If you are travelling with children, then kids between the ages 0-3 can visit the Statue of Liberty for free. Rather interestingly, Liberty Island is actually closer to New Jersey rather than New York state.

Before visiting, you should know that, as one of the most popular attractions in New York (third only to the World Trade Center Site and the Empire State Building) , the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are busy all year ’round, with Crown access tickets being booked out up to six months ahead of time (but more on that later).

The ferry to the islands can be breezy and so it’s essential that you wear layers. While the summer can be incredibly hot, and being the school holidays is also the busiest time of the year to visit, the winter can be bitterly cold. I personally think that the best time to visit the Statue of Liberty is in the late spring or early fall. This way, you’ll have better weather, albeit it with fewer crowds than those of the summer months.

Statue of Liberty Tickets: Standard, Pedestal or Crown Access?

First things first, if you want to visit the Crown of the Statue of Liberty, you should know that tickets for this are never available on the day itself and must be purchased in advance. Tickets are so popular for this Liberty Island activity that tickets can sell out up to six months in advance, especially for peak season (i.e. during the summer months).

In order to climb to the top of the crown, you will need to be able to climb up to the crown unassisted (there are approximately 393 steps to reach the top, which is approximately the height of a 27-story building) and children must be at least 4-feet tall to climb the crown on their own.

Only ten people are allowed inside the crown at a time. It’s also worth noting that there is no elevator access within the crown and some of the steps can be narrow in places. Visitors should also note that the temperature inside the crown can get very hot during the summer months and so you should bring along water for the climb. Purchase a crown ticket on Statue Cruises website here.

Unlike the crown access to the Statue of Liberty, there are usually some tickets available for purchase on the day of your visit from ferry offices for pedestal access. However, there are very few and these tend to sell out fast. as a result, I highly recommend booking your visit to access the pedestal up to three or four months before your planned trip.

The pedestal is directly under the statue’s feet, which contains a museum. There are 215 steps between the base of the statue and the top of the pedestal. Alternatively, there is elevator access. The Pedestal also rewards visitors with one of the most beautiful views of the New York City skyline to be found anywhere in the city. Purchase a pedestal ticket on Statue Cruises website here.

Standard Access is the cheapest option to see the Statue of Liberty and means that visitors can tour Liberty Island and Ellis Island but won’t be able to go inside the Statue of Liberty itself. These tickets are more readily available than crown access or pedestal access and won’t require planning several months out of your visit.

All visitors can visit the Statue of Liberty Museum, which has been opened since 2019, included in the price of their entrance/ ferry ticket. The standard access tickets are available as both timed ticket and flexible ticket, which will give you a little more flexibility when it comes to planning your visit.

Free audio tours are available to everyone with Standard access to the Statue of Liberty and come in various different languages. In order to get an audio guide for Liberty Island, you simply need to head to head to the booth as soon as you enter Liberty Island. Purchase a standard access ticket to the Statue of Liberty here.

There are pros and cons to both visiting the Statue of Liberty as part of a tour, as well as doing it by yourself (i.e. self-guided). Some of the greatest benefits of embarking on a tour of the Statue of Liberty include that it will be less planning on your part in terms of time and stress.

For example, booking a tour will ensure that you will have an expert guide with you who can answer any of your historical questions. Booking a tour can also be a good last-minute option if you want to visit the Islands but have left it until the last minute. With thing being said, going self-guided can save you money and will allow you to wander the islands at your own pace.

Statue of Liberty tours: which ticket should I buy?

If you’re looking to visit the Statue of Liberty with a tour, then you’ll find a list of tickets below, as well as the pros and cons of each ticket and option. If you’re planning to go the self-guided route for visiting the Statue of Liberty then read on as I cover how to visit the Statue of Liberty on a self-guided tour directly below. Otherwise, a large selection of Statue of Liberty tickets can be found here.

If you are looking for a visit to Liberty Island where all of the planning has been done for you, then you may well want to book this tour. Included in the price of a ticket is a guided walk of Battery Park (one of the best vantage points to see the Statue of Liberty), expedited access to the ferry, and ferry tickets to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Book your tickets here in advance.

If you are staying in Midtown Manhattan (which is where I suggest most first-time visitors to NYC stay at) , then booking this tour will save you from the stress of having to reach the ferry port terminal for yourself.

Included in the ticket price is VIP reserved access to the ferry, rerry tickets to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, a guided walk around Liberty Island (exterior of the Statue of Liberty), Ellis Island and the 9/11 Memorial pools, and bus transportation between midtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty ferry. Book your tickets here in advance.

Whether you prefer a more independent travel experience, want to save some money, or simply prefer to enjoy attractions at your own leisure, then visiting the Statue of Liberty as part of a self-guided tour may well be the best option for you.

In order to go on a self-guided tour, you’ll need to plan your voyage yourself, which can easily be done. Though you can purchase tickets on the day, you can also book your tickets in advance for the ferry (which includes Ellis Island and Liberty Island access), which can be done here.

The most important tip I would give anyone looking to visit the Statue of Liberty would be to book your tickets well in advance! It may come as a surprise to many visitors, but you’ll need to book pedestal and crown tickets months in advance, especially during busy times of the year (i.e. the summer).

Even during the off peak in NYC (winter), tickets can often sell out weeks in advance and so it’s best to plan well ahead of time if you want to be able to go inside the Statue of Liberty itself. As one of the most famous tourist attractions in the entirety of the USA, let alone in New York State, there are strict airport-style security protocols in place before you board the ferry.

You can’t bring along anything you wouldn’t be allowed to bring on an aeroplane so plan accordingly. Visitors who hold tickets to visit the pedestal and crown are also required to go through secondary screenings once on Liberty Island. You must also have a government issued ID which matches the name of your ticket.

If you want to make the most of your visit, then I recommend starting your day as early as possible. Indeed, tickets for ferries departing after 2PM in the afternoon don’t even allow visitors to stop on Ellis Island due to the fact that there is so much to see on Liberty Island itself!

Long lines are a given when you’re visiting one of the most visited attractions in the US and the Statue of Liberty is no exception. When picking a specific ferry time, plan to turn up at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. Furthermore, if you are going to pick up your tickets on site, then you’ll need to factor in a further ten minutes. 

All ferries are wheelchair accessible, and service animals and authorised guides are also welcome aboard. There are bathrooms available on land as well as aboard all ferries. Ferries take around fifteen minutes between stops, and so if you want to visit both Ellis Island and Liberty island in one day, you’ll want to set aside at least four to six hours of your time. 

Though food options are available on the island, these can be a little on the pricier side of things (as is usual with touristic locations) and so I personally recommend packing along a picnic so as to save queuing time on the island, as well as some money! Be sure to also come prepared for the weather (i.e. sun cream in the summer and a warm jacket in the winter).

Though the animals which roam the islands are adorable (namely the squirrels and chipmunks), you should not feed them for health reasons. Do not bring oversized bags or suitcases as these are not permitted to be taken to the islands and do not bring any weapons.  

How to see the Statue of Liberty for free

When I first read that visiting Liberty Island is free, I was really happy. However, since you need to pay for the ferry to access Liberty Island and Ellis Island, this is not strictly true! However, if you’re planning to visit New York City on a budget, then you may well instead want to skip out on visiting Liberty Island itself and instead indulge in one of the best views the city has to offer of the Statue. 

One of the best views of the Statue of Liberty from New York can be found at Battery Park. 

If you fancy going onto the water via a ferry but a paid ticket is not within your trip budget, then you’ll be delighted to discover that the Staten Island Ferry is completely free. The ferry departs at regular intervals during the day from Whitehall Terminal and passes pretty close to the Statue of Liberty, offering beautiful views of the iconic landmark. Over 60,000 people ride this route on a daily basis!

Although this Statue of Liberty viewpoint isn’t technically free, if you’re not willing to pay to visit Liberty Island but would otherwise like to ascend one of New York’s other vantage points, then the One World Observatory offers one of the best and unparalleled views of the Statue that you’ll find anywhere in the city.

If you really want to visit the Statue of Liberty up close, and don’t want to opt for one of the free options, then there are still ways to save money during your trip to New York if you’re planning on visiting a lot of attractions.

There are several city-wide passes which include a number of popular destinations. One such pass is the New York Pass, which will save up to 45% on over 100 top attractions. Check prices and extra information for the New York Pass here.

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