The most exclusive sightseeing tickets in NYC are Statue of Liberty tickets for INSIDE the Statue of Liberty Pedestal and there is only ONE way to get this reservation.
Statue of Liberty Tour and Ticket Options
Statue of Liberty Pedestal & Museum
Do not confuse Statue of Liberty tickets with Statue of Liberty boat tours to Liberty Island to walk the Liberty Grounds.
If visiting the Statue of Liberty and getting inside the Statue of Liberty Pedestal and/or climbing Lady Liberty’s Crown is important to you, then you have two choices:
- Reserve your Statue of Liberty tickets (Monument Access Pass), either with or without $3.00 Crown Access directly at the Statue of Liberty Site
- Book the best NYC Guided Tours to the Statue of Liberty, leaving from Midtown
Liberty Island and Ellis Island are two different islands off the southern tip of Manhattan. The guides recommend 2.5-3 hours to see one island or 5-6 hours to see both. As of July 4, 2009, Lady Liberty has re-opened her Crown for us to climb (the crown was closed after terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001).
Getting to Liberty and Ellis Islands is easy and the Ferry Boat, including an audio tour, is $19 Adults, $14 Senior; $9 Children 4-12, Free Children under 4. Getting Statue of Liberty tickets, or a reservation, to actually enter the Statue of Liberty Museum, which costs $0, is the difficult part and usually booked 3 or more months in advance.
Reservations for Statue of Liberty Tours are accepted up to one year in advance. Make sure to check for elevator outages, or be prepared to climb 168 steps to get to the Museum (different than climbing the crown).
Skipping Vacation Planner Step 3? Continue to New York City Broadway Tickets.
Back to Top of Statue of Liberty Tickets
Statue of Liberty Tickets and Tours
Confused about the different options? I would be if I didn’t live here. Here are the different Lady Liberty tour types:
- Cruises/Ferries – some just pass by Liberty Island, others will drop you off and take you back to Battery Park City. Once on Liberty Island you can walk around and enter the Museum, which is the base of Lady Liberty, at no cost and without reservations.
- Pedestal Access – requires a separate ticket or reservation and offers panoramic views of New York Harbor from the outdoor viewing deck. Check your tour for Pedestal Access inclusion if it is on your bucket list.
- Crown Access – also a separate ticket ($3 more) and requires 162 steps from the Pedestal, leading to a small indoor-only viewing area literally looking through the small windows in the crown
Back to Top of Statue of Liberty Tours
Reservation Success
Great, now that you have Statue of Liberty tickets, you can plan your itinerary around visiting the Statue of Liberty and also note to yourself, when evaluating any Tours, Bus Tours and Attractions Passes, you have already paid the $18 Ferry fee and secured your spot on the Priority Security Line.
Statue of Liberty Tickets Not Available
No problem! There are still many options to view the Statue of Liberty, go to Liberty Island and walk around the grounds and/or see one of NYC’s best attractions, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
Statue of Liberty and NYC Discount Passes
- Buy a Ferry ticket (Flex Pass) or use the Ferry Pass included in all the sightseeing discount passes, to go to Liberty Island (to walk around) and Ellis Island, including the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, which is well worth seeing! Some of the passes include guided tours, but they are all very unclear on whether the pass also includes access to inside the Statue of Liberty pedestal
- If you really want to see inside Lady Liberty, try for Statue of Liberty tickets at the main ticket booth, available on a first come first serve basis.
- Try to secure Statue of Liberty Tickets from Liberty State Park (the New Jersey side). You will have to take PATH train from NYC to board the Ferry, but you can take the ferry back to Battery Park City.
- See her up close from the water, by taking the FREE Staten Island Ferry.
- See the original sonnet Statue of Liberty Inscription (The New Colossus) at the American Jewish Historical Society.
Staten Island Ferry
If Statue of Liberty tickets are not an option, then the Staten Island Ferry is a great choice for those with less patience for lines and Museums. Kids love the SI Ferry. It’s free, passes very close to Lady Liberty, runs every 30 minutes and takes approximately 25 minutes each way.
NYC Insider note: 1, 4, 5, N, R subway lines as well as the M1, M6 and M15 bus lines., Exit South Ferry, Whitehall Terminal is the Manhattan port and St. George Terminal is the Staten Island port, 4 South Street.Â
Back to Top of Statue of Liberty Tickets
New York City Helicopter Tours
Enjoy spectacular aerial views of Manhattan on one of our many NYC Helicopter Tours. Times and tours vary, but you will likely see the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Ground Zero Memorial, World Trade Center and Ellis Island downtown. If your tour heads uptown, Central Park is gorgeous from the sky, and near some of the beautiful buildings that make up our world-famous skyline, such as the Empire State Building, Chrysler and Met Life Buildings.
I LOVED my tour…check out some of my photos and review at New York City Helicopter Tour.
Back to Top of Statue of Liberty Tickets
NYC Restaurants with Statue of Liberty View
Miramar Mediteranean & Seafood
21 South End Ave (West Thames St), Battery Park City
Upscale seafood with a perfect ground floor view of the Statue of Liberty, lovely indoor and outdoor seating. There's usually 2 or 3 restaurants at the same address, and they turnover all the time, but whatever restaurant it is today always has great views of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty.
NYC’s Best View of the Statue of Liberty
Update: RISE is now only open for private events. Stay tuned while I research other views of Lady Liberty.
The view from RISE is spectacular! Head to the 14th floor of the Wagner Hotel (formerly the Ritz Carlton) in Battery Park City, spend the $12 on a martini, and take in the sunset over the Statue of Liberty and panoramic views of the NYC Skyline.
Definitely try the “New Yorker” three tier platter, especially fun for kids!
The mini hot dogs, hamburgers, pastrami sandwiches, pizza and deli sandwiches offer a great taste of NYC’s classics!
Call for hours – they open around 4pm.Â
Back to Top of Statue of Liberty Tickets
Statue of Liberty Inscription
“Give me your tired, your poor…”
The “New Colossus,” written by Emma Lazarus in 1883, was memorialized in 1903 with a bronze plaque placed on the inner walls of the Statue’s pedestal. It is currently displayed in the Statue of Liberty exhibit.
The New Colossus
“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!”
cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your
poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
—Emma Lazarus, 1883
Read more about seeing the original Statue of Liberty sonnet free at the American Jewish Historical Society.
Back to Top of Statue of Liberty Tickets
Statue of Liberty Tickets and Security Screenings
There are two screening points to get to Liberty Island, once you have Statue of Liberty Tickets. The first is to get onto the Ferry and a second to get into the Museum. Wait time to go through the first security and screening process is usually 45-60 minutes. There is NO WAY to shortcut this line other than have a Reserved Monument Access Pass.
All visitors, regardless of their type of Statue of Liberty tickets, are permitted to visit the Liberty Island grounds and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.Â
Ferry Fees and Audio Tour:
$19.00 Ages 13+
$14.00 Seniors 62 and over
$9.00 Children 4-12
The Statue of Liberty, on Liberty Island, and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, on Ellis Island, are located in Lower New York Harbor, slightly over one mile from Lower Manhattan. Liberty and Ellis Islands are accessible by ferry service only.
The address for the Statue of Liberty departing Ferry is:
Castle Clinton National Monument
Battery Park, NY 10004
Back to Top of Statue of Liberty Tickets
Statue of Liberty Scheduled to Re Open July 4, 2013
Update March, 2013 – The National Park Service expects to reopen the Statue of Liberty to visitors by July 4, 2013. "July Fourth is the perfect day to reopen a symbol of our nation’s freedom, and speaks volumes about New York’s resilience," said Senator Charles E. Schumer. "Lady Liberty was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, but just like New York, she will be back – and stronger than ever." Â
Update November 10, 2012: While Lady Liberty was scheduled to re-open after almost a year of upgrades, sadly, she was knocked around a bit by Hurricane Sandy and closed until further notice.
As of November 1, 2011, all interior spaces of the Statue of Liberty are closed while upgrades are made to the 125 year old pedestal and the 200 year old fort base from which the statue rises. Liberty Island will remain open, so a visit should remain part of your travel plans.
What does this mean for you? If you are buying any of the New York Discount Passes, just use one of their free ferries to Liberty Island or one of the cruises that goes near the island, but does not drop you off. Do not purchase any separate tours or pass into the Statue of Liberty. National Park Rangers will remain on Liberty Island to greet, educate and inspire thousands visiting each day.
Nearby Attractions: Wall Street, Financial District, City Hall, South Street Seaport, Battery Park City.
Back to: New York City Vacation, NYC Tours
New York City Museum Guides
- All NYC Museum Guides
- NYC Museums FREE Days and Times
- NYC Museums FREE Days Download Chart
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- 9-11 Memorial & Museum
- Statue of Liberty Museum
- Museum of Natural History
- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
- Museum at Eldridge Street
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Museum Sleepovers NYC
Best New York City Museum for Kids
Best NYC Attractions Pass for Museums
|
Sightseeing Pass |
New York Pass |
Go City New York |
CityPASS |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â |  |
 |
 |
 |
| 9/11 Museum | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ 9/11 or Intrepid |
| Natural History | ✔ Admission | ✔ Admission | ✔ Admission | ✔ Admission ✔ Planetarium |
| Guggenheim | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ TOTR or Guggenheim |
| Intrepid | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ 9/11 or Intrepid |
| MET | X | X | X | X |
| MoMA | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |
| Liberty/ Ellis | ✔ Cruise ✔ Grounds ✔ Ellis Island/Immigration ✔ Secret Tour |
✔ Cruise ✔ Grounds ✔ Ellis Island/Immigration |
✔ Cruise ✔ Grounds ✔ Ellis Island/Immigration ✔ Secret Tour |
✔ Ferry/Grounds or Circle Line |
| Whitney | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |
New York City Museum Events Calendar
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) Rooftop
- Museum Mile Festival
- Kids Week at the Intrepid
- Night At The Museums
- UNIQLO Free Fridays @ MoMA
- Free NYC Museums for Military Families
- Intrepid Museum Summer Movie Series
- Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day
- All NYC Museum Guides
- NYC Museums FREE Days and Times
- Museum Sleepovers NYC
Most Popular Ticketed Tourist Attractions
Free NYC Tourist Attractions
New York City Museum Guides
- All NYC Museum Guides
- NYC Museums FREE Days and Times
- NYC Museums FREE Days Download Chart
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- 9-11 Memorial & Museum
- Statue of Liberty Museum
- Museum of Natural History
- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
- Museum at Eldridge Street
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Museum Sleepovers NYC
- Itinerary: Art Lovers Tour of NYC Museums
How are You going to Tour New York City?
- All New York City Tours
- NYC Boat Tour Cruises
- Bus Tours
- Helicopter Tours
- Walking Tours
- NYC One Day Tours
- Shopping Tours
- Movie and Television Tours
- NYC Nightlife Tours
- Bike Tours
- 9-11 Memorial Museum Tours
- Statue of Liberty Tours
- Food Tours
- NYC Lights Tours
- Holiday Lights Tours
Best NYC Attractions Pass for Tours
Sightseeing Pass |
New York Pass |
Go New York |
CityPASS |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
 |
|
| HOHO Bus | ✔ Unlimited | ✔ 1 Day ✔ The RIDE |
✔ 1 Day ✔ Night Tour ✔ The RIDE |
|
| Cruises | ✔ Circle Line ✔ 5+ Cruises |
✔ Circle Line ✔ Clipper City |
✔ Circle Line ✔ 5+ Cruises |
✔ Circle Line or Statue of Liberty |
| Food Tours | ✔ 10+ Food on Foot | ✔ 10+ Food on Foot | ✔ 10+ Food on Foot | |
| Movie & TV | ✔ 3+ On Location | ✔ East Village, Central Park ✔ Marvel & DC Superheroes ✔ Seinfeld |
✔ Marvel & DC Superheroes ✔ When Harry Met Seinfeld |
|
| Walking Tours | ✔ 20+ Choices | ✔ 10+ Choices | ✔ 10+ Choices | |
| Shopping Tours | ✔ Fashion Windows ✔ Macy's Historical ✔ Woodbury Common Outlets Bus |
✔ Fashion Windows ✔ Holiday Markets & Lights ✔ Woodbury Common Outlets Bus |
✔ Fashion Windows ✔ Woodbury Common Outlets Bus |
Statue of Liberty Guided Tours
Guided Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial Tours
These Guided Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial Tours offer a tour guide who meets you in Midtown (51st and Broadway, near Times Square) and takes the group on the subway to Battery Park, where you have special reserved priority access to enter the Liberty Island Ferry security, and a special reserved Monument Access Pass granting guaranteed entry inside the Statue of Liberty Museum.
They reserve your Statue of Liberty Museum and Ferry ticket on your behalf and offer a variety of Guided Tours:
- FREEDOM Comprehensive 9/11 Memorial, Lower Manhattan and Statue of Liberty Tour
- 9/11 Memorial and Lower Manhattan Tour
- LIBERTY Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and 9/11 Memorial Tour
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour
Make your Reservations EARLY at Guided Statue of Liberty and 9/11 Memorial Tours
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour
The 4.5 hour tour begins when you meet your expert guide at Castle Clinton in lower Manhattan and then board the ferry that will take you to both Liberty and Ellis islands (priority boarding access is included). You’ll start on Liberty Island, where you’ll learn about the history of the Statue of Liberty, and recieve a guided tour of the museum in the statue’s pedestal.
Then, on to Ellis Island, where your guide will share stories of the many immigrants who passed through the buildings, followed by a tour of the grounds and Ellis Island Museum where you can look up the records of your family members.
More Info: Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour
More Statue of Liberty Tours
Note: These tours will offer views of Lady Liberty, or the ferry to Liberty Island, but not entry to the Pedestal or Crown, which you may be able to book separately.
48 Hour All Loops Bus + Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry
The All Loops Tour offers ticket holders 48 hours of sightseeing aboard the Gray Line’s famous double-decker buses on the four main itineraries: Uptown, Downtown, Brooklyn and Night.
More Info: NYC Bus Tour + Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
