How to Visit The Statue of Liberty, NYC: Reflecting on Freedom

Liberty is simply a connection I place with the United States. It’s not thing I had consciously planned. It means much than state – it means warring for your state and taking enactment against those who oppress you.

There is nary greater landmark that represents state much than the Statue of Liberty successful New York City. More than a statue, our Lady Liberty stands arsenic a testament to freedom, and to commemorate America’s independency and its relationship with France.

There’s nary uncertainty that the Statue of Liberty is the fig 1 landmark successful NYC, and 1 of the astir visited attractions. It’s for bully crushed too, and not thing you privation to skip, careless of however engaged and touristy it has become.

In this guide, we stock everything you request to cognize astir visiting the Statue of Liberty, including ways to spot her for free, arsenic good arsenic reply immoderate commonly asked questions astir it.

How to sojourn the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty National Monument is portion of the National Parks Service. There are respective ways you tin sojourn the Statue of Liberty:

1. You tin bash a Statue of Liberty Cruise with Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, and spot the statue without going onto the island. I deliberation the sunset cruise would beryllium a large thought excessively – if you tin program the upwind right!
2. You tin spot it for free connected the Staten Island Ferry. Again, without going connected the island, conscionable sailing past.
3. If you privation to get up adjacent to the statue and sojourn the museum, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island guided tour allows you to disembark connected Liberty Island and research the grounds with a circuit guide.
4. Alternatively, you tin bash what we did, and take the Statue of Liberty ferry over to Liberty Island and past it volition prime you up and driblet you disconnected astatine Ellis Island if you privation to bash that also. Self guided audio tours (which are fantastic and what we did) and guided tours are besides available erstwhile you get astatine Liberty Island.

We utilized our New York Sightseeing attractions pass, which includes a sojourn to the Statue of Liberty monument and Ellis Island, arsenic good arsenic aggregate different attractions successful the city. It’s designed to prevention you clip and wealth if you program connected seeing aggregate New York attractions.

Unfortunately, our clip was excessively constricted to acceptable successful an Ellis Island tour, but I’ve heard from galore radical accidental it’s 1 of the best things to bash successful NYC.

Taking the Statue City Cruise to Liberty Island

If you opt not to instrumentality a circuit to Liberty Island, the lone mode to sojourn without a circuit is with Statue City Cruises, the ONLY vendor authorized to supply tickets and proscription to Liberty and Ellis Islands.

Once connected the island, you request an further summons to sojourn the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.

The self-guided audio circuit is included successful the terms of your ferry ticket and helps visitors larn astir the communicative of Statue of Liberty, portion exploring the grounds of Liberty Island arsenic good arsenic the statue’s museum.

An audio circuit is disposable for some Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

With the audio tour, you’ll larn astir the past of Liberty Island and the Native American inhabitants of Manhattan, which often visited the land for its ample oyster population.

You volition besides larn however it was utilized successful the Revolutionary War and arsenic a subject fort earlier becoming Liberty Island and the spot for this symbolic portion of art.

You’ll besides larn however and wherefore the Statue of Liberty was built and the fascinating symbolism of each part.

Park Rangers supply guided tours successful English passim the day. Programs commencement astatine the Flagpole and visitors should expect to beryllium walking oregon lasting for astir 35 minutes.

Tours are escaped to articulation and each are welcome!

Tips for visiting the Statue of Liberty

1. Time Your Statue of Liberty Tour Right

We attempted to sojourn Statue of Liberty aft we explored the Freedom Tower. It was an casual locomotion down to the departure constituent astatine Battery Park pier.

However, it was wholly the incorrect clip of time as determination were hundreds of radical each wanting to to the aforesaid thing.

We lined up for astir 15 minutes to commercialized our sightseeing walk voucher for our ferry tickets. The woman told maine the hold clip for the vessel was astir 15 minutes and moved fast.

We decided to springiness it a go. It became wide to america aft 15 minutes, that getting done information to the Statue of Liberty was going to instrumentality a agelong time.

I got antsy consecutive away. I’m conscionable not a assemblage person. It has to beryllium thing peculiar for maine to enactment up for a agelong time. I find astir things aren’t worthy utilizing my clip successful that way.

I did a fewer calculations successful my head, evaluated our New York itinerary for the adjacent mates of days, and decided to discontinue wasting clip connected this enactment and travel aboriginal connected the Sunday greeting alternatively to bash the Statue of Liberty circuit – close connected opening astatine 8am.

One happening I learned astir question successful America, and I person mentioned successful galore guides pervious to this 1 – Americans are not aboriginal risers.

If you privation to bushed the crowds – get to attractions early, oregon bang connected opening time, particularly successful New York City.

It does necessitate cautious planning, truthful you cognize the busiest New York attractions, which ones to sojourn when.

After checking retired the views astatine the Empire State Building astatine 8am – large determination arsenic we had nary enactment up – we headed consecutive down to the Battery Park pier to get connected the boat.

We didn’t person to hold for our tickets this clip arsenic we already had them.

We were done information and capable to committee the ferry in 15 minutes – YES!

2. Be prepared for information searches

Security is choky for the ferry thrust to Liberty and Ellis Island to spot the Statue of Liberty. Just similar the airports, you’ll beryllium taking disconnected your belts and shoes.

So beryllium definite to bounds what you instrumentality implicit determination to trim this headache.

3. Be alert of fake Statue of Liberty summons sellers (and Ellis Island)

There are galore unauthorized summons sellers who volition effort to merchantability you Statue of Liberty tickets and Statue of Liberty tours adjacent Battery Park successful NYC.

These individuals volition often effort to scam radical done misrepresentation and over-charging. There is lone 1 vendor allowed to merchantability tickets for the ferry, truthful don’t beryllium fooled by these people.

It’s champion to acquisition tickets successful advance. The lone on-site determination to acquisition authorized tickets is the Statue Cruises authoritative summons office wrong Castle Clinton successful Battery Park. Queues for this summons bureau are long, truthful debar the queue and publication ahead.

4. Visiting the Pedestal oregon Crown of the Statue of Liberty

The Pedestal summons is $25.80, and an precocious preservation is recommended arsenic on-the-day tickets merchantability retired fast. They’re taxable to availability connected a archetypal travel archetypal served ground astatine the summons window.

If you sojourn the Pedestal, enactment determination are either 215 steps (10 stories) to climb, oregon determination is an elevator for those with mobility issues.

Click present to reserve tickets for the Pedestal.

You indispensable acquisition Crown Tickets successful beforehand if you privation to sojourn the crown of Liberty. They person constricted fig of tickets each time and it is ace popular.

Reservations tin beryllium made 4-6 months successful advance.

Both the Pedestal and Crown are included arsenic portion of the NYC Sightseeing Pass, which volition prevention you wealth if you are seeing aggregate NYC attractions.

5. Know wherever the ferry departs from

There are 2 locations wherever you tin drawback a ferry to Liberty Island. The astir fashionable is from Battery Park successful NYC, but you tin besides get a ferry from Liberty State Park successful New Jersey.

The ferries commencement astatine 8:30am.

Statue of Liberty Facts

Who designed the Statue of Liberty?

A sojourn to the Statue of Liberty is an iconic US experience, but not galore radical cognize astir it’s history.

In 1865, a French governmental intelligence and anti-slavery activistic named Edouard de Laboulaye proposed that a statue representing liberty beryllium built for the United States.

This monument would grant the United States’ centennial of independency and the relationship with France.

It was created by French sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi who supported Laboulaye’s thought and successful 1870 began designing the statue of “Liberty Enlightening the World.”

He wanted thing to basal retired and Bedloes Island (now Liberty Island) successful New York Harbor was a wide victor for its presumption to greet radical arsenic they sailed in.

He had the foresight to spot that NYC would drawback the world’s attention.

His imaginativeness was said to beryllium excessively large and improbable, and nary 1 successful the US was funny astatine first. Never halt a quality with a imagination to punctual the satellite that liberty, equality, and fraternity are ideals to unrecorded by.

How gangly is the Statue of Liberty?

The statue is 151 ft tall, and the REAL sanction of Lady Liberty is Liberty Enlightening the World.

It was seen to beryllium a acquisition of relationship from the radical of France to the United States and is recognized arsenic a cosmopolitan awesome of state and democracy.

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated connected October 28, 1886 and is present a National Monument.

What is the Statue of Liberty made of?

This colossal copper statue is afloat of symbolism and anticipation and I loved learning the communicative and what this woman represents connected the Statue of Liberty tour.

She’s determination to enlighten the satellite with information and justice.

She was the astir wished for imaginativeness of the 12 cardinal immigrants arriving successful the 1880’s – 1894. It was impervious they made it aft weeks astatine sea, and the vessel would erupt successful immense cheers.

They had arrived screaming, crying and kissing each other. Their hopes and dreams realized arsenic they question a caller life.

During World War I and II, Liberty began to symbolize what the soldiers were warring for, and it replaced Uncle Sam aft WWII arsenic the awesome for the USA.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and implicit 4 cardinal radical sojourn a twelvemonth to admit the peculiar and unsocial worth it represents to radical astir the world.

Although she’s meant to correspond equality, she was created successful a clip wherever this equality was not represented.

Is it still?

African Americans and women were excluded from the nationalist celebrations of the unveiling of her, (despite her being a woman representing liberty!)

It’s bully to spot however acold humanity has travel since then, but I’m definite we tin agree, the equality and liberty for all  that she represents has not yet been realized, and lately feels similar its sliding backwards.

May we look to the breached shackle and concatenation connected the Statue of Liberty’s feet to punctual america to interruption the chains of bondage (as seen mostly done our attitudes and behaviors) and the extremity of oppression.

It’s clip to enactment unneurotic to make a satellite wherever nary 1 has to acquisition this.

We came to the US seeking a beingness we dreamed about. I won’t accidental better, arsenic I’m fortunate capable to beryllium calved successful Australia, a state that offers maine plentifulness of opportunity, protection, joyousness and of people freedom!

However, similar those immigrants connected the boat, we went done a agelong clip of dreaming, readying and taking risks to marque it happen.

I recognize however they indispensable person felt erstwhile they archetypal laid eyes connected the Statue of Liberty arsenic they turned into the harbor.

Relief, sadness, joy.

It’s a substance of feelings arsenic you commercialized 1 beingness into different you judge volition bring you greater hope, joy, information and peace.

I don’t deliberation the caller beingness successful America truthful galore immigrants were fixed has ne'er been taken for granted. And they person helped to physique a state that is exciting, innovative, diverse, fascinating with beardown ideals successful the pursuit for happiness.

Let’s not hide that.

I’m truthful grateful for the privilege I person to beryllium from a state wherever I tin person these choices to use for a visa and beryllium granted it.

I’m truthful thankful for the privilege of being from a country, I don’t request to tally from successful fear.

There are truthful galore radical successful our world, who don’t person the aforesaid privileges, yet are seeking a amended life. May we enactment unneurotic to grant their journey, their humanity, and their close to beryllium protected and escaped from oppression.

I don’t person the answers, arsenic the concern is truthful complex, but I cognize that, successful trying to find a bully solution, we tin dainty those volition little privilege than america with emotion and compassion.

It’s the bully successful humanity that is moving hard to beryllium seen.

May each of america enactment to bring it retired of the corporate consciousness and bash better.

That’s what the Statue of Liberty reminds maine of.

It’s a worthy attraction to sojourn erstwhile successful New York, careless of crowds and however touristy it is.

Final Thoughts connected Visiting the Statue of Liberty

Visiting the Statue of Liberty pb maine to bespeak connected state – however fortunate we are to person it, the choices and privilege that comes with it, and however overmuch we instrumentality that privilege for granted.

It was nary astonishment these feelings came up connected our sojourn to Liberty Island successful New York Harbor to spot the statue that represents truth, equality and liberty.

I had nary involvement successful visiting the Statue of Liberty earlier this travel to New York City, possibly I was not acceptable for it, and to beryllium honest, I utilized to crook my chemoreceptor up astatine it arsenic being crowded kitschy touristy stuff.

But my parents wanted to sojourn truthful I scheduled it into our New York itinerary, and it didn’t disappoint.

Savannah was peculiarly excited to spot her. For her, it’s a awesome that she is successful New York, her favourite metropolis ever.

I was acrophobic that it would beryllium a headache with each the radical visiting determination each day, but thankfully, the terms of the tickets were covered with our Sightseeing Pass, truthful it wouldn’t beryllium excessively large a nonaccomplishment if we didn’t similar it.

Turns retired I didn’t request to worry.

I cannot permission this usher without saying however magnificent the views of Manhattan and the World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) are from Liberty Island and the ferry.

It is simply a unsocial position and 1 not to beryllium missed! I loved however it made it look similar the astir celebrated precocious rises were each successful a line!

What bash you think? Are you readying to sojourn the Statue of Liberty? Let america cognize what you thought successful the comments.

Top Attractions successful NYC

While you’re successful New York City, it’s a bully thought to get organised and program up for the fashionable attractions arsenic tickets often merchantability retired connected the day. Below are immoderate of the apical attractions successful New York which you tin publication up online:

• One World Observatory (skip the enactment ticket) – Journey to the apical of the tallest gathering successful the Western Hemisphere. Pre-book tickets and skip the summons line.
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum Admission (skip the enactment tickets) – Pre-book tickets for convenient skip the summons enactment privileges.
• Statue of Liberty (skip the enactment summons with optional pedestal) – Get precedence entree to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry. Includes escaped multilingual audio guides and GetYourGuide concierge work for a hassle-free experience.
• Empire State Building (skip the enactment ticket) – Buy this summons and skip the enactment to ascend to the 86th level for unthinkable panoramic views implicit New York!
• Top of the Rock Observation Deck (flexible day ticket) – Flexible day summons allows you to program your sojourn astir the upwind and instrumentality successful 360-degree panoramic views of the Big Apple.
• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) skip the enactment ticket – Enjoy skip-the-line entree to immoderate of the world’s champion art.

Tours of NYC

If you’re abbreviated connected clip and would similar a guided tour, present are immoderate fashionable ones we would recommend:

• 5 hr Sightseeing circuit of NYC – Short connected time? Make the astir of your enactment with this broad 5 hr circuit exploring the main attractions with comfortable autobus proscription and guide!
• THE RIDE – a unsocial circuit that is portion theatrical amusement and immersive tour. See classical New York City sights from the comfortableness of a technologically-advanced moving theatre centrifugal coach.
• Best of New York Circle Line Cruise – 2.5 hr narrated cruise, and the only sightseeing cruise to circumnavigate the land of Manhattan to spot the 7 large bridges, 5 boroughs and 101 unforgettable New York sights.
• Helicopter Tour – Enjoy stunning views of Manhattan Island connected a deluxe sightseeing chopper formation offering 180 grade views from the sky.
• Harlem Gospel Tour – 4-hour circuit of a historical Harlem to acquisition the thrills of gospel singing, Columbia University and the Apollo Theater earlier joining a gospel choir for Mass.

See each tours and activities successful NYC here. 

More NYC Travel Tips

We person tons of guided for visiting NYC to assistance you program your travel and enactment itineraries together. Check retired these different adjuvant guides…

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• Magical Things to Do successful NYC astatine Christmas with Kids (or without kids)

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