Statue of Liberty Tour: All The Tips, Best Time to Go & More!

July 21, 2020July 22, 2020 NewYorkerTips

All the info you need to book the Statue of Liberty OFFICIAL Tour. This post is only for those who are interested in visiting the Statue of Liberty at Liberty Island. The tour also includes Ellis Island.

Remember that you can always see the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park or by taking the FREE South Ferry that doesn’t stop in Liberty Island but you get to see the statue while sailing along Hudson River back and forth.

COVID-19 UPDATE: Liberty Island has already re-opened with Phase 4 of Reopening. Please note:

The interiors of the Statue of Liberty will remain closed (no crown access).
The Museum at Liberty Island and Ellis Island remain temporarily closed.
There will be increased hygiene regimen, disinfection, and sanitation throughout all facilities.
Everyone must wear a mask from the moment they arrive. Guests that don’t have a mask, can purchase one at the ticket office.
There will be limited capacity on board.
Just so you know: Liberty Island is mainly outdoors! Except for the restrooms and the coffee shop.
All the crew will get a temperature check each day.
If you wanna know more about Covid-19 Guidelines to visit Liberty Island click here.

After this tour, you can explore more the Financial District.

Tips to Consider BEFORE Visiting the Statue of Liberty

Pedestal Tickets:

Try to book tickets to the PEDESTAL! It’s definitely worth it than just the general admission and it cost the same!

Crown Access:

If you can get crown access too, that’s awesome and a unique experience (except if you’re afraid of heights) but you need to book crown access way in advance (2 or more months in advance).

Don’t book the tour at 2PM or later if you wanna do both islands!

Better going before noon so you have enough time to visit Ellis Island as well. I found it super interesting when I went there! And it’s pretty big.

Free Audio Guides:

You can grab them when you arrive at Liberty Island once you get off the ferry. Same at Ellis Island.

Don’t waste too much time waiting in line for the ferry to go to the other island or to return to NYC.

Sometimes people wait in line for 30 min until the next ferry comes and it’s just a waste of time because so many people can fit in the ferry that you can enjoy the islands and arrive just a few minutes before the ferry gets there or when the ferry already arrived and people are getting OFF the ferry 😉

There Are No Chargers at Liberty Island:

Make sure your phone and cameras are fully charged before you go. You do have a machine at the gift shop (where the coffee shop is located) where you can charge up the phone for a dollar.

Ask for the ferry schedule at each island because sometimes they come every 40 or 60 min depending on the time.
AVOID Street Sellers!
Arrive before the time of your ticket since there’s always a line to get into the ferry and you need to go through security first.
All Tickets include the ferry back and forth!
Avoid going with big purses/bags.

Who is the Official Provider of the Statue of Liberty Tour?

Statue Cruises is the ONLY provider authorized to take visitors to the Statue of Liberty at Liberty Island & Ellis Island. One ticket includes both islands.

You’ll see many other cruises that offer this tour but they do NOT stop at those islands! They just stop close to the Statue of Liberty on Hudson River so you can take pictures from a closer look but you don’t hop off there.

Statue of Liberty Tickets

3 ways to purchase Statue of Liberty tickets:

Click here to book tickets online.
By phone: (201) 432-6321.
At the box office when you arrive in Battery Park or at Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

Ticket office hours: Opens 30min before the first departure and Closes 30min. after the last departure.

If you purchase online, make sure to click on the “calendar icon” below the prices to select a day/time and on the empty square next to the price put the number of people purchasing tickets. It can be a bit confusing 😉

Different types of tickets:

The Statue of Liberty Tour has different options that you can choose from! Details below.

General Admission Tickets (Reserve Ticket)

Includes admission to both islands. But it doesn’t include admission to the Pedestal, Crown access, and Statue of Liberty Museum located in Liberty Island.

Prices:

Adults: $18.50.
Kids 6-12: $9.
Senior 62 & Over: $14.
Children under 3: FREE.

I honestly don’t think it’s worth going to Liberty Island with just a general admission ticket and no pedestal access…

Pedestal Tickets

Includes both islands but with access to the Pedestal & the NEW Liberty Museum!

SAME PRICE as the general admission ticket! But they won’t let you into the Statue of Liberty Pedestal if you didn’t book this type of ticket!

If you plan to book Pedestal Access Tickets, do it in advance and not the same day you’re going!
I highly recommend you purchase tickets with Pedestal access! It’s totally worth it because you get to climb a bit into the Statue of Liberty and experience better views from a higher perspective than just being on the grounds of the island and it definitely makes a difference.

To get to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal you need to climb up 5 flights and go through an additional Security Check. Once you’re up, it’s narrower & it can be crowded. You need to find your way to take pictures without people around.

You’ll need to rent a locker for your personal bags to climb up the pedestal.

Statue of Liberty Crown Tickets

Includes the same things as the Pedestal ticket but with access to the Statue of Liberty Crown!

Avoid this option if you’re afraid of heights. It’s a unique experience because you’ll be taking 162 VERY NARROW and SUPER TIGHT steps to go up to the crown from the top of the Pedestal.

Once you get to the crown, it’s indoors only up there and in a very tight space and I mean it! It can be a bit scary. Only one person fits on the stairs, meaning if there are more people they will be ahead of you or behind you. That’s how narrow it is!

Adults: $21.50.
Kids 6-12: $12.
Senior 62 & Over: $17.

Statue of Liberty crown tickets are very limited. They only allow very few people a day which is why it can be hard to book crown tickets. You need to book them at least 2 months in advance or more if you come in mid-high season. Some tips below!

Tips to go to the Statue of Liberty Crown:

No Elevator to the top of the crown:

You must climb up and down the stairs unassisted. There will be National Park Service rangers on site.

The Statue is NOT Air Conditioned inside:

It can get too hot in the Summer and on a very tight space! It’s recommended that you drink water before climbing up when’s too hot outside.

You must book the crown access at least 1 to 4 months in advance:

I’d say you might get availability if you book a month in advance during Winter (low season). But if you’re coming in peak season (Summer!) you’ll need even more time to book it! You can book up to 6 months in advance.

Booking Crown Tickets in the Summer:

Don’t be surprised if you try to book Crown Access Tickets for Summer Months a month or 2 in advance and Crown Tickets are unavailable / sold out!

IF CROWN TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT or UNAVAILABLE: You Should be Checking DAILY for Crown Access Tickets! Some days there aren’t any, and suddenly some might get released or maybe people cancel and there is availability. But again, always in advance because you won’t see tickets to the Crown available for the next day!

If you can’t get crown access, don’t worry. It’s a bit scary climbing up those very tight stairs to go up. The pedestal experience it’s awesome and you get to see the Statue a bit from the Inside 😉

Statue of Liberty Hours

You can check the full schedule here.

From NYC:

First departure: 8:30am.

Last departure: 3:30pm.

Return Trips from Liberty Island:

Last departure: 5pm.

Return Trips from Ellis Island:

Last departure: 5:15pm.

Best Time to Book the Statue of Liberty Tour

Mornings departing before Noon is best. Afternoon time is more congested and can take more time. Especially in the Summer!

In Winter is nice going to the Statue of Liberty in the afternoon so you get to see the Sunset. The colors of the Sky are always beautiful in Winter because the sun goes down in that direction! You can take great pictures! Sunset in Winter is at about 4:30/5pm.

Better to go on a weekday to beat the crowds.

How Long is the Statue of Liberty Tour?

TOTAL TOUR TIME: it takes half a day! 4-5 hours and can take up to 6 hours in the summer!

GOOD TO KNOW: it’s best to book the tour in the morning or close to noon if you wanna do Ellis Island. If you book the tour for 2pm or later, you might feel rushed or you might not be able to do Ellis Island if there are too many lines or if you want to explore well Liberty Island and take pictures, etc. I recommend going to Ellis Island because it’s included at no extra cost and it’s a very interesting museum about immigration with very old documents and the building itself!

If you depart from NYC, the Cruise goes to Liberty Island first.

Where to Buy Food

There’s a coffee shop with food at Liberty Island & at Ellis Island too!

You can get lunch, coffee, beverages, snacks…! Or bring snacks with you!

There are restrooms at both islands.

Statue of Liberty Location

From Where Do You Take the Statue Cruises?

2 locations. You can take the Statue Cruises from Manhattan or New Jersey.

FROM MANHATTAN

The departure is from Battery Park.

Closest Subways:

1 to South Ferry Station.
4/5 to Bowling Green.
R/W to Whitehall St.

FROM NEW JERSEY

The departure is from Liberty State Park.

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@NewYorkerTips