Exactly How To Visit The Statue Of Liberty & Ellis Island: Mistakes To Avoid + Is It Worth It?

We honestly couldn’t wait to visit the Statue of Liberty when we moved to New York City. We had no idea at the time, but the only way we could actually step foot on Liberty Island and Ellis Island was to take a Statue Cruises ferry from Battery Park in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey. No other ferry companies or routes would actually get our feet on the grounds so we could stand directly below the Statue of Liberty or explore the National Immigration Museum.

So we booked the first ferry of the morning departing Castle Clinton in Battery Park at 9:00 AM to beat the crowds and be among the first people let loose on Liberty Island. The pedestal and crown were closed because it wasn’t long after covid lockdowns, so we could only buy basic tickets with no add-ons. We were disappointed at first, but looking back we don’t think those extra areas are make or break. In total we took three ferries – one to the Statue of Liberty, one to Ellis Island, and one back to Manhattan.

It was a brutally cold morning in January 2021, so we wrapped warm in our heavy duty coats and filled up with a lot of hot coffee before heading to Castle Clinton to catch the ferry. After passing through an intense security screening area, we boarded and sat up top for clear views (with no windows). That didn’t last long – it was freezing up there! Overall we thought it was awesome to get so close to the iconic Statue of Liberty and we genuinely felt the immigration museum on Ellis Island was massively underrated.

Instead of paying $26 per person directly for the ferry, we each used up one attraction on our New York CityPASS tickets. There’s actually quite a few ticket options for the Statue of Liberty, which we’ll explain in this guide along with showing you our full experience so you know what to expect, and the common mistakes to avoid based on what we learned. Let’s dive in!

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Our Statue Of Liberty Experience

To begin, we’re going to walk you through how we visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in 2021. Take note of what we liked, didn’t like, and would do next time.

Passing Through Security Screening

After getting an early start and filling up with bagels and coffee at one of our favorite bagel shops in NYC, we took the subway to Whitehall St-South Ferry and walked northwest through Battery Park to Castle Clinton. Our ferry was the first departure of the morning at 9:00 AM, but our tickets stated 8:30 AM, which meant we needed to arrive at the security screening area by 8:30 AM, scan our CityPASS tickets via QR codes, and enter an airport-style security screening area.

Back then the security screening was in what felt like a great big white canvas marquee tent. We had to take everything out of our pockets including phones and wallets, and put our backpacks through a scanner. Passing through security checks wasn’t uncommon at other popular NYC attractions we visited, but this one was definitely more intense to board the Statue of Liberty ferry.

Taking Our First Ferry To Liberty Island

Once we’d been cleared, we went back outside into a fenced-off staging area. We were the first people there, but more people began to line up behind us soon enough. Next, we boarded the ferry and went straight upstairs to the interior middle deck for an elevated view, but without freezing our butts off on the open-top deck above. If it was warmer, we’d 100% have gone up to the top for 360-degree views.

We sat on the right side of the boat looking forward because we knew it would have better views of the Statue of Liberty as we approached. We braved the outer middle deck for a few minutes to capture glare-free photos of Lady Liberty, but the icy temperature and wind from moving on the boat gave us nostril hair freeze upon breathing in, and numb fingers even though we had gloves on.

It only took 15 minutes to reach Liberty Island and it flew by because we were mesmerized by how much taller the Statue of Liberty was becoming by the minute. The full-frontal Lady Liberty view only lasted a split second, but luckily Mark had switched to continuous shooting mode on the camera to make sure we got a few dead-ahead shots of her as we approached. Then as the boat slowed for the final approach, we legged it up to the top deck for a clearer look.

Standing Below The Statue Of Liberty

After disembarking on Liberty Island, the first thing we did was pick up audio guide headsets in a small kiosk near the dock. It was a self-guided audio tour that was included with our ferry tickets and covered both Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Then we began in the Statue of Liberty Museum, watching a 10-minute film called “The Story of an Icon”, reading displays about the construction process, and seeing the original torch which was replaced in 1984 after almost 100 years.

The museum was free to enter and we were in there maybe 20 minutes at the most. Next, we walked clockwise around Liberty Island’s northeast shoreline towards an unused dock, and this walk gave us a super perspective over Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge. Then we finally arrived directly underneath the Statue of Liberty, one of NYC’s most iconic sights, and it did not disappoint. We took a few fun perspective photos with Lady Liberty, and then cracked on.

Taking Our Second Ferry To Ellis Island

All together we spent around 1 hour and 40 minutes exploring Liberty Island. But remember, that didn’t include going onto the pedestal or crown. Including them would have added a lot more time, not just to explore the extra area but also because the elevator lines can take ages when it’s busy. Anyway, we quickly used the restrooms and grabbed another coffee at Crown Cafe before walking back to the dock.

There was a surprisingly long line to get our next ferry to Ellis Island, but we just about made it onto the first available boat at 11:05 AM, and less than ten minutes later we arrived at the second stop of our journey. At this point we could have stayed on the same ferry and cut our trip short by taking it straight back to Manhattan. But we wanted to see the immigration museum, and we’re so glad we factored in enough time to get off on Ellis Island.

Self-Touring Ellis Island National Museum Of Immigration

As soon as we got off the boat we entered Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. But we were hungry by this point, so we quickly grabbed a few hotdogs in the Ellis Island cafe before firing our audio guides back up and beginning a self-guided tour of the museum. As a side note, the cafe we ate our hotdogs in was the same place new immigrants would eat when first arriving into America.

Some of Kristen’s ancestors passed through Ellis Island from Europe, so it was really interesting to learn about what happened when they arrived – things like questioning, hospital care, money issues, onward travel, and how many were sent back due to problems with diseases or other reasons. There’s no doubt is was one of our favorite NYC museums, and we’d definitely go back next time.

Taking Our Final Ferry Back To Manhattan

After eating a quick lunch and spending a little over an hour touring the immigration museum, we walked back to the dock and hopped on the 1:05 PM ferry. It only took 10 minutes to get back to Battery Park in Manhattan, so we were finished by 1:15 PM. We didn’t have to pass back through the security tent on the way out, instead we disembarked the ferry and exited straight into Battery Park.

From security screening at 8:30 AM through arriving back into Battery Park at 1:15 PM, our total time was 4 hours 45 minutes. But we didn’t do the pedestal or crown, and we could have easily spent more time in the immigration museum. We also could have just slowed down in general for a more relaxing day, but we had a full afternoon itinerary planned for ticking off nearby attractions in Lower Manhattan.

Ticket Options + Ferry Schedule

Okay, we’re going to blunt – the various Statue of Liberty ticket options can be confusing. We’re going to make it as straightforward as we can to help you get through the booking process. Here are the different ways to get tickets:

Buying tickets in person: The easiest way to get Statue of Liberty ferry tickets is to turn up at Castle Clinton in person and buy them from a kiosk inside the old fort. This gives flexibility and allows spontaneity, but the lines can be very long so it’s a risk, especially in peak season. And there’s almost no chance of any pedestal or crown tickets being left. Tickets cost $26 for adults and $17 for children aged 4-12.

Buying tickets online in advance: This is a much safer bet because it guarantees tickets for a specific time slot, which means bypassing any line that’s formed from people buying in person on the day. Just remember, the time on the ticket is the time for security, not ferry departure. Statue City Cruises is the only official ticket site to book tickets in advance, and importantly, it’s the only place pedestal and crown tickets can be bought. Pedestal tickets usually have limited availability up to a few days in advance, but crown tickets MUST be bought at least 2 months in advance otherwise they will be sold out.

Follow these steps to book tickets for the Statue of Liberty on the Statue City Cruises website:

• Head over to Statue City Cruises
• Scroll down and click “check availability”
• This opens up tickets availability below
• Select departure point (likely NY)
• Choose number of guests
• Pick a date
• Select ticket type (see below)

General admission: Ferry to both islands, audio guide, everywhere included except going inside the Statue of Liberty.

Pedestal reserve: Same as general plus admission into the pedestal, including outdoor balcony accessed by climbing 215 steps or taking an elevator (reserved for accessibility use only).

Crown reserve: Same as pedestal plus access to the crown via 162 spiral steps from the pedestal, no elevator.

Hard Hat tour: This one is on Ellis Island and is nothing to do with the Statue of Liberty. 90-minute guided tour of an unrestored immigrant hospital complex.

Statue of Liberty ferry and add-ons prices are as follows:

Ticket Type	Adult	Child (4-12)	Senior (62+) & Military
General Admission	$26.00	$17.00	$23.00
Pedestal Reserve	$26.30	$17.30	$23.30
Crown Reserve	$26.30	$17.30	$23.30
Hard Hat Tour	$81.00	Not allowed	$78.00 (senior only)

Use an attractions pass: We’ve used attraction passes in cities all over the world, and NYC is the place we’ve saved the most money. For our Statue of Liberty ferry in 2021, we used our New York CityPASS tickets and it worked perfectly. But the Go City New York Pass is a fantastic alternative. It’s important to know that when using any attractions pass, only general admission is included – both the pedestal and crown access can only be reserved when booking direct through Statue City Cruises.

Mark’s planning tip: We recommend reading through our New York CityPASS review and Go City New York review to learn more about how each pass works. They are extremely popular and do save money when used properly. Or for a higher level overview, read our detailed New York attractions pass comparison to see how they offer different perks.

Join a guided tour: The final options for getting tickets is to book a guided tour of Liberty Island and Ellis Island through a third-party operator, like this one with Viator or this one with Take Walks. These tours cost a little bit more money and don’t include pedestal or crown access, but they include ferry tickets and more importantly a professional who can explain a lot more than the audio guide, and answer specific questions. Both tour options have amazing reviews, and we’ll book the Take Walks one next time because their tours are always exceptional.

Statue of Liberty ferry schedule: We used to have a table showing the ferry schedule but we removed it because the timetable changes throughout the year. It’s important to stay on top of the current schedule and select the correct departure point between NY and NJ. We took the first ferry of the day from Battery Park at 9:00 AM in January 2021, but the earliest ferry is half an hour earlier at 8:30 AM in the summer.

Mistakes To Avoid

Buying tickets from touts: There are scammers and touts selling fake or overpriced tickets hanging around outside Castle Clinton, often wearing what appears to be official-looking vests. Only buy in-person tickets actually inside the walls of Castle Clinton National Monument.

Not booking in advance: In our opinion, there’s no real upside to booking tickets in person on the day. All it does is risk massive lines, which eats up loads of time from a day in NYC. Booking in advance gives guaranteed skip the line entry into the security area at a certain time.

Arriving at ferry departure time: The time slot included with pre-booked tickets is for entering the security screening area, not for ferry departure. We would plan to arrive at our security screening time slot around 30-60 minutes in advance (depending on seasonality). So if we booked the 8:30 AM time slot in winter, we’d arrive at 8:00 AM. Or if we booked 12:00 PM in summer, we’d arrive at 11:00 AM.

Not booking early morning: The first ferry of the day was by far the best one to book. The security line was non-existent, the islands were quieter, and we were back in Manhattan in time for lunch. The rush happens from 10:00 AM through 2:00 PM when lines are long and the islands are swarming.

Going too late: The problem with leaving it until the crowds die down later in the day is the timing of the last ferry back to Manhattan. We’d consider a later starting time if we didn’t mind missing out on Ellis Island, otherwise it’s not worth risking.

Not factoring in Ellis Island: We honestly think it’s a big mistake to just see the Statue of Liberty and skip the immigration museum on Ellis Island. It’s already included in the price and it’s actually really interesting, so don’t skip it.

Not booking crown access in advance: Crown access tickets sell out weeks or often months in advance. Pedestal tickets can have very limited availability a few days out, but there are no last minute tickets for the crown.

Overhyping the crown: We get it. It’s the Statue of Liberty crown. But we wouldn’t sacrifice a normal visit to the Statue of Liberty and immigration museum, just to go up to the crown at the only available time slot if it’s later in the day. Trust us, the views are much better from observation decks in Midtown. Plus, there’s 162 steps to climb in a tight space for a 10-minute visit to the crown.

Not checking departure boards: Each time we got off the ferry, we checked the departure boards to see live times that we could aim for. Having a target time on both islands meant we didn’t lose any dead time by just missing one ferry and waiting 25-30 minutes for the next one.

Skipping the audio guide: We had to explain to another couple that the audio guide was free because they were about to skip it thinking it would cost them extra. The audio guide is well worth picking up for help understanding both islands.

Taking big bags: There are no lockers anywhere before boarding the first ferry in Battery Park and none on the ferries themselves. The only place that has luggage storage is Liberty Island, but that would mean carrying it on the ferries and skipping Ellis Island.

Starting in New Jersey: Skipping long lines in Manhattan to join shorter lines in Liberty Park, New Jersey might sound like a good idea, but it’s not easy to reach Liberty Park from where most people stay in Midtown Manhattan. Book tickets or a tour in advance instead.

Thinking the Staten Island ferry stops on Liberty Island: Taking the free Staten Island ferry (big orange boat) is a solid way to see the Statue of Liberty for a few minutes from a distance, but it doesn’t stop on Liberty Island or Ellis Island.

Did The Statue Of Liberty Live Up To Its Hype?

Honestly, we really enjoyed our visit to the Statue of Liberty. After seeing it on countless movies and TV shows, we weren’t sure if our expectations would be too high and it would turn out to be a dud – but it more than lived up to its hype.

But we do have to caveat that by saying we visited at an unusually quiet time in the depths of winter, not long after covid hit the city hard. We realize that it might have been a lesser experience if the security line was massive and both islands were swarming with tourists.

We thought the Statue of Liberty museum was interesting – although it could have been a bit more comprehensive, and standing underneath Lady Liberty was genuinely as cool as we’d hoped it would be. Visiting the immigration museum on Ellis Island was always part of our plan, and we were so glad we didn’t skip it at the last minute because it ended up being a bit of a hidden gem.

Overall, we thought it was an excellent attraction. We easily bought tickets through CityPASS, the security checks were thorough but efficient, the ferries were great and on time, and we saw everything we wanted to in less than 5 hours. But on the other hand, we can see how others might find the ticket options confusing, the ferries frustrating when busy, and it taking too much time from a day in New York.

Next Steps

We hope our guide on how to visit the Statue of Liberty helps with planning your trip to NYC.

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments box below, and remember you can schedule a travel planning call with Mark if you’d like expert help figuring out how to make the most of your trip to New York.

Still researching for your trip?

• Start with our top level NYC travel guide.
• Follow our step by step 4 days in NYC itinerary.
• Don’t miss our standout NYC experiences.
• Here are the best areas to stay in NYC.

Finally, if you’ll be heading upstate on the same trip, read our New York State travel guide for more helpful tips and advice.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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