Statue of Liberty, USA

Statue of Liberty: What You Need to Book Months in Advance and Why

The crown of the Statue of Liberty has 354 steps and a maximum daily visitor capacity that results in crown tickets selling out months ahead. Most visitors who fail to plan ahead end up on Liberty Island looking at the statue from outside, which is a perfectly valid experience but not what they thought they were booking. Book at statuecruises.com or nps.gov/stli as far ahead as possible if you want to go inside the pedestal or crown.

The statue itself was a gift from France, designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated in 1886. The internal iron framework was engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel – the same engineer who built the tower in Paris. The copper skin has oxidized to its current verdigris green from an original warm copper-orange, a change that took about 20 to 30 years after the dedication. The tablet in the statue’s left hand is inscribed with the date July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals. The original torch was replaced in 1986 with a gold-leafed version; the original is now displayed in the monument’s museum.

Getting There

Ferries depart from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan and from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. The round-trip ferry ticket is included in the admission and includes access to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Early ferries – the first departure is typically at 8:30am – arrive before the main crowds.

What to See

The Statue of Liberty Museum, opened in 2019 in a purpose-built building on Liberty Island, holds the original torch and an exhibition on the statue’s construction and cultural significance. It is worth an hour and is included in the general admission.

Ellis Island, the second stop on the ferry route, operated as the main immigration inspection station for the United States from 1892 to 1954. Over 12 million immigrants passed through its Great Hall. The Immigration Museum has been restored extensively and documents individual immigrant stories through photographs, documents, and artefacts. This is, for many visitors, the more affecting experience of the two islands.

Practical Notes

Book in advance, particularly for crown tickets. Standard tickets are required but can often be obtained with less lead time. Ferries operate approximately 8:30am to 5pm with extended hours in summer. The ferry ride from Battery Park takes about 15 minutes. Hotels in Lower Manhattan and Battery Park City are the most convenient; New Jersey (Jersey City, Hoboken) is cheaper and accessible by PATH train. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is 10 minutes on foot from the Battery Park ferry terminal; both sites together make a full day.