Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty: Tickets, Crown Access, and Why Ellis Island Is the Better Half

The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, accessible only by ferry. It was a gift from France to the United States, conceived by French political thinker Edouard de Laboulaye, designed by sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, and engineered with an iron framework by Gustave Eiffel (before the Eiffel Tower). The statue arrived from France in 214 crates in 1885 and was assembled on its pedestal on Bedloe’s Island (renamed Liberty Island in 1956). It has been there since 1886.

The statue is 93 metres from ground level to torch tip. The green colour is patina on the copper skin, which was originally the colour of a penny. The interior iron framework corrodes from salt air and requires ongoing maintenance; a major restoration was completed in 1986 for the centennial.

Ticket Categories and Crown Access

Tickets are managed by Statue Cruises, the official concessionaire. There are three main options:

Basic ferry tickets cover the round trip and access to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, but do not allow entry to the pedestal or statue interior. Most people who arrive with no advance planning have this option. The ferry from Battery Park in lower Manhattan takes approximately 15 minutes. You can walk around the base, see the statue at close range, and see the exterior. Cost around $24 per adult.

Pedestal access tickets include entry into the pedestal and museum up to the observation deck at the statue’s feet, 154 steps above ground. The views from here over the harbour and Manhattan are good; the statue is visible from below at close range. These sell out days to weeks in advance.

Crown access is the most limited category. Only 10 people per trip can climb the 354 steps to the crown’s observation windows (not the torch, which has been closed to visitors since 1916). Crown tickets sell out months in advance through the official booking system. If you want to do this, book 3-4 months ahead. The climb involves a very narrow double-helix staircase and is not suitable for those with mobility restrictions or significant claustrophobia.

Ellis Island

Ellis Island is included in all ferry tickets and is the more substantive of the two stops. The main building was the processing centre for approximately 12 million immigrants who arrived in the United States between 1892 and 1954. The Great Hall, where immigrants waited for medical and legal inspections, is restored to its 1918 appearance. The Registry Room has the original herringbone tile floor and the arched ceiling that was decorated with Guastavino tiles in 1918.

The immigration museum’s collection includes original documents, photographs, and oral history recordings from people who passed through the building. The experience of standing in the Registry Room and reading the inspection process – the medical checks, the chalk marks on clothing for suspected illness, the legal screening that could result in deportation – is more affecting than most people expect from what is often described simply as a “museum.”

The Wall of Honor outside contains the names of more than 700,000 individuals who immigrated through Ellis Island and whose families have paid for their inscription. You can search for family names at the kiosk terminals inside the museum.

Getting There

Ferries depart from Battery Park (Whitehall Terminal) at the southern tip of Manhattan and from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. The Manhattan departure is more convenient for most visitors. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your ticketed departure; security screening is required.

The first ferry of the day typically departs around 9 AM; the last ferry back to Manhattan departs Liberty Island around 4:30 PM. Exact times vary seasonally. The island closes in the late afternoon.

Nearby in Lower Manhattan

Battery Park contains Castle Clinton, a 19th-century fortification that served as an immigration processing centre before Ellis Island opened. It is free and worth 20 minutes. The New York Harbor Views from the southern tip of Manhattan are different from those on the ferry but similarly extensive.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is 10 minutes’ walk north from Battery Park. The memorial pools occupy the footprints of the two towers. The museum is $30 admission and takes 2-3 hours for a thorough visit.

Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street, where George Washington gave his farewell address to the Continental Army officer corps in 1783, operates as both a working tavern and a small museum. The upstairs museum is modest; the ground floor bar is the most authentic 18th-century-adjacent space in lower Manhattan.