More about: Statue of Liberty Tickets and Tours
If there's one icon that represents New York, it's the Statue of Liberty. Visiting it or going around it by boat is an experience not to be missed on your trip to New York, if only for the picture-postcard views of Manhattan from Liberty Island.
Buying your tickets in advance will save you two queues: the ferry to Liberty Island and the museum queues. Here are some of the options available. They do not include entry to the Statue of Liberty but will allow you to get to the Statue of Liberty, see the surroundings in detail and visit the museums:
Visit three of New York's most iconic landmarks
Ideal if you want the experience to be as complete as possible, as in addition to the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Islands, it includes the 9/11 Memorial.
Four-hour guided tour with a guide
Perfect if you want to know all the details, as an expert guide will accompany you during this early morning experience, revealing all the details of history and allowing you to make the most of the day.
Take a ferry ride to the Statue to see it up close.
If you want to see the city's most famous lady without spending a lot of time and a lot of money, take a boat trip to get the best pictures. The views from the ferry will make the trip worthwhile.
How much does it cost to visit the Statue of Liberty?
Prices to visit the Statue of Liberty can vary depending on whether you choose to buy a standard ticket or a guided tour, but tours usually start from €50 and include entrance fees, ferry and an expert guide.
If you prefer to go on your own, you can find tickets from around €20 for the pedestal, but you'll need to buy separate ferry tickets and pay for a guided tour if you choose to visit the Statue and Liberty Island with a guide.
Buying tickets for the Statue of Liberty at the ticket office
The big disadvantage of buying tickets on the spot is that you will have to wait in line and you may also have to wait for the next ferry if there are large crowds of tourists.
Are Statue of Liberty tickets included in any New York City sightseeing passes?
The lure of the Statue of Liberty also makes it a must-see attraction on the main New York sightseeing passes. If you still don't know what they are, how to use them or whether they are suitable for you or not, I invite you to read my article on New York tourist passes.
In any case, if what you're interested in is getting to the point and seeing which passes include admission to the Statue of Liberty, here's a list of what they are and, by the way, I'll link you to the practical guide I've prepared about each one. I'm sure this will help you decide which one is best suited to your trip!
How to get to the Statue of Liberty?
If you're thinking of going to Liberty Island on your own, there's only one company that operates ferries to the Statue of Liberty, and that's Statue of Liberty Cruises. You can take an express cruise to the Statue of Liberty if you're short on time but don't want to miss out on the experience.
Boarding points
- Battery Park, which is located south of Manhattan. As the main pier, it's the most crowded with visitors, so again, try to get there early in the morning. To get there, it's best to take the underground to Bowling Street or South Ferry.
- Liberty State Park, which is in New Jersey. If you don't want to wait in a long queue for the ferry, or you're staying nearby, this is a good alternative option.
Timetables
One ferry leaves every 25 minutes. When you arrive at the pier at Battery Park, if you have already booked your Statue of Liberty ticket, you simply go through the security checkpoint and directly onto the ferry. The ferry will take you straight to Liberty Island in about 15 minutes and you will gradually see the Statue of Liberty getting closer and closer.
At the end of your visit, you can take the ferry to Ellis Island (where you can visit the Immigration Museum) or go straight back to Manhattan. Visiting Liberty Island, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will take you about 5 hours. This may seem obvious, but try not to miss the ferry back! The Liberty Island guards will have to order a pick-up service, and guess who will pay for it?
When to visit the Statue of Liberty?
As you'd expect, it's one of New York's most popular attractions, so keep this in mind when booking your Statue of Liberty ticket. It's hard to miss a good number of tourists on the way there. That said, try to get there as early in the morning as possible. If you manage to get to Liberty Island before 10am, you'll save yourself a lot of crowds.
Of course, most visitors go to the Statue of Liberty on weekends, so if you can, try to go Monday to Friday if you can. If you can still only go on weekends, Sundays are the best day for crowds.
How can I climb the Statue's Crown?
You can climb the Crown of the Statue of Liberty by paying a supplement or by purchasing a specific ticket. The attraction of climbing the crown of the Statue of Liberty is more to see the actual monument built from the inside, as the views from the top are not as spectacular. If you opt for this option, I recommend you book your Statue of Liberty tickets well in advance as they are the first to sell out.
Where to eat when you visit the Statue of Liberty?
When planning where to eat on your visit to the Statue of Liberty, you have two options: eat before or after your visit, or go to the cafeteria at Liberty Island or Ellis Island, where a menu usually costs between $12 (about 11 euros) and $15 (about 14 euros), with options such as salads, burgers, and sandwiches.
If you heed my recommendation and book a visit to the Statue of Liberty in the morning, you'll be back in Battery Park just in time for lunch, which is why I recommend a few mouth-watering restaurants. However, if the following list doesn't convince you, check out the best places to eat in New York here.
- Inatteso Pizzabar: a popular pizza place in the financial district where you can find salads, meatball dishes, pasta and pizza, all of which look delicious and authentic.
- Toro Loco NYC: a Mexican-inspired restaurant, with a menu of tacos, nachos, quesadillas and burritos that's outrageous. Perfect for a quick bite to eat in or to take away and continue exploring New York.
- Café 11: here you'll find sushi, wraps, and vegetarian options, mainly to take away, if you prefer a light and healthy meal. The downside is that they are not open on weekends.
- Luke's Lobster: The lobster roll, one of the essentials of the American sandwich repertoire, is the speciality of this restaurant. Basically, it is a brioche sandwich filled with lobster meat and sauce. It's not for everyone, but if your mouth is watering from reading this, don't think twice and try it!
Tips for visiting the Statue of Liberty
If you've already mentally got one foot on the ferry and are looking forward to the day of your tour, take note of some tips that will come in handy before arranging to book a visit to the Statue of Liberty:
- Avoid the weekend: Try to go Monday to Friday and preferably in the morning.
- Ticket booths: When you arrive at the Liberty Island pier, you will walk a short distance and arrive at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. Before accessing the statue's pedestal, you will need to leave your belongings in a locker (except for your mobile phone, camera and wallet) at the lockers at the base of the statue.
- Don't forget to carry loose change: Lockers cost 25 cents, so remember to bring loose change (or notes for the change machines).
- Bring the essentials: To climb the Statue of Liberty's crown, you will need to leave all your belongings in the lockers except for the ticket and your camera. For this reason, I recommend that on this visit you take the essentials and nothing else.
- Visit Ellis Island: As I mentioned before, once you have finished visiting the Statue of Liberty, you can return to the Liberty Island pier and, if the beautiful views of Manhattan allow you to get away, you can hop on the ferry to Ellis Island, a must-visit.
Visit Ellis Island
At Ellis Island you can visit the Immigration Museum, with over thirty rooms with exhibits about the times when New York received immigrants from all over the world. Something I found quite interesting about this museum is that it has an ancestry search service where you can see if anyone from your most distant family ever lived in New York.
If you want to see the area where the Statue of Liberty is located in more depth, there are several options available to you. You can do:
- A private tour of Ellis Island with tickets to the Statue of Liberty.
- A guided tour that in addition to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty includes the 9/11 Memorial.
Other interesting activities in New York
If you fancy seeing the Statue of Liberty from a different viewpoint, there are many places in New York that will give you the best views of the Statue of Liberty, but you can also book a helicopter flight. You'll see not only the Statue but also Manhattan's most imposing skyscrapers. Sounds good, doesn't it? If you want to read more about this option, I recommend my article on how to take a helicopter ride over Manhattan.
Whether it's your first time in New York or you're already a frequent visitor, you'll know that the city is huge and there are numerous things to see and do in New York Taking a guided tour is essential to get to know the most important sights and understand the history and customs of the city. Here is my report on these two tours, which for me are the most complete: Upper and Lower Manhattan Tour y New York Contrasts Tour.
If, on the other hand, you have plenty of time and feel like getting out of the city to discover its surroundings, I leave you here my article on 5 Day Trips from New York so you can explore all the options.