Visiting the Statue of Liberty, Logistically
Time is of the essence when traveling. I want as much time spent enjoying the location, being present in the moment, NOT figuring it out when there, which can be stressful. I am sharing the logistics of visiting the Statue of Liberty for your planning ease and knowing what to expect. Anything to save time and energy makes the experience more of a quality moment.❤️
Underlined bold text links to that page for your convenience. No affiliations, just love.
Toward the beginning of November my son and I took a trip to see Lady Liberty. I’m sharing the details and timing to help you with your planning! Darrien chose to spend his 20th B-day with an NYC day, and I was happy to accommodate this wish, NYC is always on my bucket list. This was our third NYC visit in 2024, but the first to the Statue in a few years. Our original dates were cancelled due to Hurrican Milton, which passed over our house and caused cancelled flights. When we rebooked, we were crunched for time. We reserved our pedestal tickets just two weeks in advance. This was a bit last-minute, the sooner in advance you book, the more likely you will be to get the times/ dates and position you’d like. Crown passes sell out much farther in advance, I recommend reserving those 8-10 weeks ahead of time.
Logistics:
The Crown: Only 300 crown tickets are available each day, and if this is your bucket list, order well in advance! Only four tickets can be on one reservation, and if you have a larger group it may be best to call or book simultaneously with another family member. Photo ID must be presented for each individual at the ticket window when picking up (this does not apply to minor children). The crown does not have 360-degree views like the pedestal, as arched windows face east (toward Europe). Manhattan is not as easy to see through the small windows.
There are 162 steps which must be climbed from the pedestal up to the crown. (No elevators) Be hydrated as it is a steeper narrower stairwell, and If you get claustrophobic, this could be difficult! (I did it once, at seventeen, and don’t need to do it again.)
*Views are better from the Pedestal than the crown. Although it’s a really cool experience to go up into the crown, it’s not for the claustrophobic! Weird Madella Effect: The website says the torch has not been open for visitation since 1916, but I specifically remember being able to do that option up until possibly my 20's.... anyone else?
The Statue of Liberty experience.... GET Tickets here: https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/Statue-Of-Liberty-and-Ellis-Island-Tickets/ Tickets are $32.30/ person for a reserve or pedestal or crown access, and sell out 6 weeks in advance typically. Tickets are $32.00 for the round-trip shuttle to both Liberty and Ellis Islands.
We planned our reservations for Saturday at 12 noon, knowing that we would be able to enter up to an hour prior to the ticket time. We had other plans for our day and my son had a whole list of places to see on this day. We then worked our times backwards to be able to make the most of our day in the City. Arrive one hour prior to your ticketed time, plan transportation and calculate for crowds and any other hold ups. It's better to get there early than late. I’ll share ideas for how to spend your whole Statue of Liberty day below. (With options of course, you know I love options)
We boarded the Long Island Railroad at 9:00 am for our 1-hour train ride to Grand Central. We then caught the 4 or 5 train from Grand Central Terminal to Bowling Green (16 minutes – 4 to 5 stops) and walked to Battery Park Terminal. We were in the chill at the tip of Manhattan on a crispy Autumn morning by 10:25, which was still earlier than we could get in line (we tried) so we decided to jump in to Starbucks for some hot cocoa/ tea before walking around for about 35 minutes. This was enough time to check out Wall Street, the bull, and the promenade. (We’d just watched the Wolf of Wall Street a month before this trip, so we had some NYC references fresh). We watched some helicopter tours lifting off and managed to see the cobble stone streets with some pre-Christmas lighting already up (it was early I know!). The city was not very busy for a weekend, neither did it feel like the holiday tourists were out and about.
After our walk around the spots, we wanted to see we made our way back to the line for those with Tickets.
Picking up tickets for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum?
Your QR code precludes the need to pick up actual tickets; however, if you choose to pick up tickets at will-call, your tickets for the New York City departure point are available for pick up at the pre-paid ticket box office located inside Castle Clinton National Monument at Battery Park which is located at the southern tip of Manhattan.
Castle Clinton National Monument – holding 200 years of history and a treat in itself. Open daily from 8- 5 except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. This is also where the ticket office is for Statue Cruises and, which is the official cruise line taking visitors to the SOL and Ellis Island. While there is not much to do here besides see the fort (which is cool), it is a nice bucket list check off with a few relics to tell a story like no other of lower Manhattan.
Battery Park - Catching the ferry to Liberty Island and go to the pedestal!
First: Security -You'll wait in line to get into the security center before boarding the ferry. This includes a going through security similar to boarding an airline. Personal items go through the scanner, and each person walks through the metal detector. All bags roll through the scanner. Belts and layers come off and strangers all quickly shed all they can to make the process less awkward. While advertised that it could take up to an hour to get through the line to security and the ferry, we were on the ferry in 20 minutes. Belts, jackets, and shoes come off, and there is space for reorganizing and dressing prior to going back out into the cold. The ferry holds many people, depending on which ferry you catch there will be up to 400 – 800 passengers on board. The ride to each Island (Liberty/ Ellis) takes about 15 minutes. The Ferry has three levels, and where you stand comes down to personal preference and the weather outside. Whichever level you are on, you’ll be treated to some amazing views of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. (The right side of the ship has the better views).
**Late afternoon tours after 2PM and 3PM, will not have enough time to stop at Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Sometimes, security and loading can take longer than expected plan to arrive at least one hour prior to your ticket time.
There were all taken from the 2nd level of the Ferry:
Regardless of if you have tickets or are going up into the statue or not, the ferry ride, Ellis Island, and free activities (such as the museum) are worth the trip. Yes, some people go over who are not going into the monument. The views of the skyline, historical presence and monumental significance are awe inspiring. Dress for the weather, plan for waiting in lines and the intense security check to enter. If you do not have Statue reservations and just want to ride by the Island for photos, consider taking the Staten Island Ferry, which is a lower cost and takes you right by the Monument for some awesome photos.
At the Statue of Liberty & Liberty Island:
Stepping off the ferry onto Liberty Island feels surreal 🗽
It was nice to take a few moments and take in the grandeur of the moment once we stepped foot on Liberty Island. I couldn't help but think about the history and magnitude this little Island played in the US story. We took more photos from some waterfront landmark sites and took our time before getting into the line to go up at exactly 12:00. Crazy we did ALL the things before our 12:00 ticket time!
As this National Monument has narrow spaces and the National Parks want to keep this area as comfortable as possible, backpacks and food or drink must be stored in a locker. Water bottles are permitted. Small purse/ cross body bags are allowed.
Same kid, two different visits, we keep coming back for more!
The Climb vs. Elevator: We decided to walk up rather than waiting for the elevator. The elevator line is the time killer, while only 4 people can ride at a time. Rather than spend 30 minutes waiting, we walked up in about 10. 215 steps, the equivalent of climbing 10 stories winds the visitor up to the tight viewing areas. I enjoyed seeing the engineering from the inside of the monument. I am not a lover of step climbing, but my son who is very athletic encouraged me and we made it with only 2 or 3 brief stops to breathe! There are ample platforms for pausing as needed. The other climbers were more at my level of comfort than his, where he was hopping steps 2 by 2, I was just mentally managing each step. They are not steep.
The pedestal: Sits 89 feet above the ground and is where Lady Liberty’s feet rest. From here, you’ll see Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Manhattan, and New York Harbor with a unique perspective. The Brooklyn Bridge and Verrazano Bridge alone with many other landmarks are easily recognizable from this viewpoint. If it’s a rainy or foggy day, it may not be as dramatic of a perspective.
Once we were at the pedestal it is really cool to walk around the narrow outdoor corridor of the pedestal, which is framed by a high wall. Construction below made the area beneath limited to movement, and they do keep up with this landmark’s curb appeal! You can also see the many phases of development the Statue itself has been through both inside the monument, and in the neighboring museum.
It is windy on the pedestal! Feeling the city around you and being on the landmark itself is a cool way to experience history! We stayed about fifteen minutes, it was cold, and windy and a little crowded. The narrow walkway is hard to navigate and while most people are aware of others, this close space is a tight one for staying too long! We took our photos, walked around twice and then opted to head back down. There is a gallery walk inside the main area and restrooms (I encourage you to use these) before headed out of the Monument.
Statue of Liberty Museum: Opened in 2019 capturing 26,000 square feet of story being told to the visitor with art, designs, photographs, and drawing showing the progress of how this monument came to be. Displays that take you through the sculptor’s studio and follow the construction process. The original torch now lives in the large, windowed gallery, with a beautiful view. There’s thought provoking and engaging exhibits where visitors can take a selfie and be added to the display which is constantly updating.
Then catch a ferry to Ellis Island and go walk around the museum and Island.
Head Back to Battery Park when you are ready. This area can keep you busy all day. The museum has "something for everyone" really welcoming visitors into a piece of NYC and US history.
My crew on Ellis Island, we did not return on this 2024 trip, but recommend the stop!
Ideas for Battery Park City:
There may be scammers, do not take anything they try to hand you or make eye contact. Also, avoid the people in vests trying to direct you to save time and money boarding. There is only one company with a contract to transport visitors to Liberty & Ellis Islands! Protect your time and don't fall for it.
Getting to Liberty Island may take longer than expected, but please enjoy the whole process. Be patient with the crowds. Liberty Island is a great spot for a picnic lunch, the views are amazing. When my kids were little, I'd grab some subs/ sandwiches before I caught the ferry over and plan a picnic lunch in the grass or on some benches. As places go, this is one of my favorite places to just BE. Don't rush, just take in the moment.
Will I be seasick on the Ferry for the SOL? I've felt queasy on this ferry before, specifically when the ship docked prior to deboarding. I've been on the ferry several times and only had that happen once, but that's enough to say it's possible. (I was also pregnant at the time) If you are worried about it, consider over the counter options for motion sickness prior to riding over. I place myself as close to the end of getting on and first for getting off as possible to avoid that sloshing feeling when docking.
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Coming back out into Battery Park don't rush through all the cool stuff. The playscape for kids, and Seaglass carousel are state of the art! You've got your venders and street performers; you can linger and enjoy the scenery. There will be street dancers and artists, everyone hoping you'll be buying something!
Once you are ready to explore... for the rest of your day:
*Ride the Sea Glass Carousel (Water Street & State Street) – this is especially popular at night when the lights are more dramatic. Not just for kids, Open 11 – 9 pm daily. $6.00 per person/ 3-minute ride. Buy tickets at the carousel. When we were there in October there was no wait!
*Skyscraper Museum $2.50/ students – cool stop, great for those interested in the engineering and construction of a city!
*E-Bike the Esplanade - CitiBike docking stations, if you prefer to hoof it, the Esplanade is friendly to pedestrians, as well. Walk/ photograph amazing views.
*Rockefeller Park is the perfect spot for sports, picnics, and sunbathing. With a large playground for children, and fragrant gardens to walk through, this park is a great place to visit at any age. Check out the ping pong and pool tables. Enjoy those Hudson River Views!
*Shop/ Window shop at Brookfield Place, a large indoor mall with luxury stores and an atrium. Super pretty, great photo ops and a real NYC vibe!
*Delmonico's - 56 Beaver Street, an 1837 Original Restaurant (photographed below) is a fine dining experience! In operation for two centuries and featured in many famous movies for it's recognizable landmark design.
*Walk to nearby Attractions - Oculus/ One World Trade Plaza - If you are walking over to Wall Street to see the bull and Stock Market Exchange, along with other scenic buildings, walk over to the Oculus as well. There's a great food court (are you hungry yet?) This is right by the World Trade Center and Memorials. I will share more details for this below...
*Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge! This is a nice walking experience where the visitor can be looking at the beauty of NYC without being in the middle of it. Cross all the way over to the DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and get some amazing skyline shots without paying a fortune to go up into the skyscrapers.
This will help you figure out details for making this a pleasure: https://www.savvysinglemamatravels.com/post/walking-over-the-brooklyn-bridge-on-your-new-york-adventure
Additional Things that pair will with the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park Area:
Address: One Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004
10 AM–5 PM daily, Thursdays to 8 PM - except December 25
Admission is FREE! (This is across the street from Battery Park and could be the first option for additional explorations) -There are tons of exhibits and history under one roof, with some cool hands-on activities under one roof! Great place to spend a few hours.
Walk over to the Freedom Tower – WTC Memorials
It is the tallest building in the US, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the 7th largest in the world. Definitely worth a stop! Replacing the original seven buildings on the same site that were destroyed in the September 11 attacks, we will never forget. The site has been rebuilt with six new skyscrapers They are designed to be impressive, reflective, and massive!
Truely, the draw here is the (free) WTC memorial. Two large square imprints of the ground zero towers engraved with the names of all who were lost on that horrible day. The water falls and names could not be more thought provoking of the magnitude and reverence we feel. An excellent place to pause and reflect. Also, a great place for a history lesson if you're traveling with family. We have never gone into the museum, for personal reasons, however we have talked in great detail about 911 and how it impacted many we know and love.
The Oculus in NYC is a more recent artistic landmark within walking distance of the World Trade Center. Designed to look like a dove flying from opened hands, this unique building is an engineering marvel. The transit hub, serving the PATH, cost four billion dollars, making it the most expensive train stop in the world. With its modern design, it immediately became an attraction. After taking 12 years to build, it is easy to see how this project was so massive once inside.
The entrance can be accessed through 4 World Trade Center from Liberty Street. Nearest metro train (subway) stations are Cortland St., Fulton St. and Chambers Street. Come and eat, shop or commute! (Window shopping is also appropriate) The mall inside is extensive, upscale, and impressive! Many places to buy or eat are sprinkled throughout and create a fun environment.
Points/ Tips:
~It's surprising how many people fit into the ferry! I expected to board the next one and was happily surprised we were able to make it into the first ferry.
~Boarding/ unboarding goes fairly quickly. If you get seasick, plan ahead. It's a short ride but better to be prepared.
~There is a grill counter on the SOL ferry selling hotdogs, pretzels, drinks, and snacks, these are better priced than many other areas, but there is no concession on Liberty or Ellis Islands, so this is a great idea! (I still prefer the picnic idea)
~The right side of the Ferry has the better views, get your spot before the crowds swamp the sides
~The less you carry the easier this trip will be (as security and lockers can slow down the momentum)
~It’s windier and chillier than you will expect once you are at the Statue, wheeew! Windbreaker is a good idea.
~You are at the mercy of the weather on this day, so wear layers if it's chilly and definitely good walking shoes!
~Bring a portable battery charger, this is a life saver in NYC
~Use the Maps feature in your iPhone or Samsung device to help you navigate by selecting the public transit option for travel mode.
~Lower Manhattan has LOTS of history and packs in great stops into a one-mile radius. I am pointing out the main attractions but there's more than I can share here.
Real Life: On our day, which was planned by my 20-year-old son who has spent many visits to NYC, and made our itinerary for his B-Day wish list, we were off to midtown! While this list of activities is not how I would have planned it – I was happy to oblige his list! We are comfortable with the NYC subways and walking, and jam packing our day full of activities.
From the Statue of Liberty, we caught the same train we took down (the 4, 5 and 6) back uptown to the Central Park/ Zoo – (you can make it if you leave by 3:15) Last entry at 4:00pm –
64th Street and 5th Avenue (30-minute train ride to get there).
The Central Park Zoo is Open until 5:30 – fun place to walk around and hang out! We purchased our tickets online from the ferry line for the Statue of Liberty, then saw there were kiosks available to get your tickets however outside of the Zoo. Online it made it seem like they had to be pre-purchased or may have sold out. I am not sure how often that happens.
At the Zoo, we greatly enjoyed the sea lions, even caught a show, and walked through the entire Zoo and Children's Zoo in 2 hours. Penguins, bears, snow leopards, red pandas, and a great rainforest zone weave together in a really compact Zoo for easy exploring. If you love animals, this is a fun activity as the environments are well made and there's no bad exhibit preventing visuals with the animals. Nature in the middle of a busy City feels special.
After the Zoo we walked over to Central Park, this SE corner has some beautiful trails, and this time of year is between the height of Autumn's beauty and the freezing cold of winter. We enjoyed some scenery, and I got a street pretzel. Then we walked down 5th Avenue to Times Square. This is always my kid's favorite, Christmas time or no. We stopped in at Saint Patrick's Cathedral where there was a private event, and we caught an Irish wedding party exiting the church complete with bagpipes and grandeur! Then we went inside to warm up, pray, and sit for a few minutes! When the sun goes down NYC gets chilly! While we walked, we enjoyed how the Christmas decorations were already making the city more festive!
As we walked through The Rockefeller Plaza, we were stopped by DOT who were delivering scaffolding for setting up the 2024 Christmas Tree display, which was fun to watch briefly. Front row style of NYC! Some of the main shopping and winter village was already up, and ice skating was underway. NYC is a city that has constant movement and so much going on! We crossed down to Time's Square, which is not my favorite, but again this was my son's bucket list day. We hung around and took some photos. There was also a protest going on that seemed to be getting louder, so we opted to head out of the area. We crossed over towards 6th and 7th Avenues to keep walking.
Meeting up/ Dinner plans: We had a mutual friend who knew we were in Manhattan for the day, and she shared we had another mutual friend also in NYC - what a cooinkidink! We coordinated to all meet up for dinner close to Penn Station where we'd all be around dinner time. Which turned out to be 6:30. One friend booked our reservations an hour prior to our arrival, and we all had a good plan for ending this fabulous day. We walked (you guessed it) down to Jack Doyle’s,
a large Irish pub one block from Penn Station with a great menu and a step up from typical bar food.
Jack Doyle's - 240 West 35th Street, with friendly service and delicious food, make reservations. Why we liked it? Such a good atmosphere. Yes, you got some sports playing on the tv's, but this place just feels warm and welcoming and like NYC should feel.
From here, we walked around the block to Penn Station and caught the next LIRR back to Long Island, where we were ready to put our feet up!
If you want more of a 3 Day Itinerary for how to visit NYC like you live there, click this link:
A note from the editor:
The information in this article was accurate when published but may change without notice.
Confirm the prices and times on websites, and use your best judgement.
Confirm details when planning your trip.
Another Great NYC Day - Combine the Museum of Modern Art & Roosevelt Island
If you want to see the most recognizable art in the Western World, stop by the MoMA and check out Starry Night. Vincent Van Gogh's piece lives here along with MANY other amazing works by artists of the era such as Frida Kahlo, Monet, Pollock, and Matisse. This is an amazing collection and the 5th floor rivals NYC top museums, as the 3rd most visited in the city! After a great morning (budget at least 2 hours here) head over to the Roosevelt Tram to go get some amazing views of NYC!
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Happy Travels!
Savvy Mama
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