A symbol of New York and the whole of America, it has stood on Liberty Island since 1886 and is visited by approximately 3.8 million people every year.

We set off for Liberty Island by ferry from Battery Park and had booked our entry to the pedestal in advance. After stepping out onto the outdoor gallery, I had Manhattan, Staten Island and New Jersey right in front of me.

However, a visit to the Statue of Liberty requires more planning than it seems. When booking, you must choose whether you want to simply walk around the island and visit the museums, go inside the pedestal, or climb all the way up to the crown. Availability varies for each option, and the most sought-after tickets sell out months in advance.

The Statue of Liberty in brief

• Location: Liberty Island, New York
• Total height: 93 metres
• Standard ticket price: 25,50 usd for an adult
• What’s included: ferries, Liberty Island, Ellis Island and both main museums
• Access to the pedestal: only with Pedestal Reserve Ticket
• Access to the crown: only with Crown Reserve Ticket
• Crown reservation: ideally 3 to 6 months in advance
• Free views: Staten Island Ferry
• Recommended time: 2 to 3 hours for Liberty Island only, 4 to 5 hours including Ellis Island

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The figure of the statue itself depicts Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty.

In her right hand she holds a torch raised above her head, whilst in her left hand she clutches a tablet bearing the inscription JULY IV MDCCLXXVI, which, expressed in Roman numerals, denotes 4 July 1778, the day the United States declared its independence.

At the base of the statue are broken chains, a symbol of liberation from slavery.

Tickets for the Statue of Liberty: prices and options

Entry to Liberty Island and the museums is free of charge.

However, you can only reach the island by taking a paid ferry operated by Statue City Cruises, which also serves as your ticket to the entire site.

Please only use the official website to purchase your ferry ticket statuecruises.com.

This is the only official operator whose ferries are authorised to dock at Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Beware of overpriced offers from street vendors around Battery Park.

There are three main types of ticket to choose from.

Prices are final, i.e. they include all taxes and fees.

General Admission

The standard ticket includes:

• a return ferry ticket
• Liberty Island
• Ellis Island
• Statue of Liberty Museum
• Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
• audio guide

This ticket does not grant access to the interior of the pedestal or the statue itself.

• 25,50 usd – adults
• 22,50 usd – seniors aged 62 and over
• 16,50 usd – children under 12

Pedestal Reserve Ticket

I opted for this option during my visit. In addition to everything included in the ‘ General Admission ’, you’ll gain access to the interior of the plinth and the outdoor viewing gallery.

• 25,80 usd – adults
• 22,80 usd – senior citizens aged 62 and over
• 16,80 usd – children under 12

Crown Reserve Ticket

The most popular ticket also allows you to climb right up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.

Crown tickets sell out quickly, and we recommend buying them3 to 6 months in advance. A maximum of four tickets can be purchased per booking, and the name on the booking will be checked upon entry.

Children must be at least 106 cm tall and able to make the climb unaided.

Prices are the same as for entry to the plinth:

• 25,80 usd – adults
• 22,80 usd – senior citizens aged 62 and over
• 16,80 usd – children under 12

Ferries to the Statue of Liberty: where they depart from and how long the journey takes

Ferries depart from two locations:

• The Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan
• Liberty State Park in Jersey City

You must board at the port specified on your ticket. However, on the return journey, you can disembark at a different location; for example, you could set off from Manhattan and return to New Jersey.

The ferries stop at both Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It’s entirely up to you how much time you spend on each island.

Ferries usually run every 25 to 30 minutes. The exact timetable varies depending on the season, so it’s worth checking it on the website Statue City Cruises before your visit.

The crossing between the individual ports takes approximately 15 to 25 minutes.

The time shown on your ticket is not the exact departure time of the ferry. It is the time by which you must arrive for security screening. You will only board the next available ferry once you have completed this process.

If you want to visit both Liberty Island and Ellis Island in a single day, take one of the first ferries in the morning. If you’re mainly interested in the Statue of Liberty and its pedestal, in my experience the afternoon tends to be a little quieter.

Ferry timetables

Ferries run daily from 9.00 am to 3.15 pm, roughly every 15 to 20 minutes, and are often crowded.

The crossing time from both Battery Park and Jersey City is approximately 15 minutes.

Inside the ferry, there are free toilets and a small bistro where you can only pay in cash.

What does the Statue of Liberty look like inside?

With a standard ‘ General Admission ’ ticket, you won’t be able to go inside the pedestal or the statue itself. You’ll need a ticket for the pedestal or the crown.

After passing through another security check, you’ll enter the inner part of the pedestal, where you’ll see the monument’s structure and, through the glass ceiling, the interior of the copper statue.

Visiting the plinth

You can reach the top of the granite plinth via 215 steps or by lift. The final section leading to the outdoor gallery is accessible only by stairs.

The viewing platform offers beautiful views of Manhattan, Staten Island and New Jersey. The view is unobstructed in all directions and, in my opinion, this is the best part of the whole visit.

The pedestal is also accessible to wheelchair users, but the outdoor viewing platform itself is not wheelchair-accessible. The panoramic view of New York is also visible from inside the building.

A visit to the crown

From the top of the pedestal, a further 162 very steep steps lead up to the crown. The staircase is narrow, winding and, in places, quite cramped.

There is no lift to the crown. The climb is therefore not suitable for visitors who suffer from claustrophobia, vertigo, or breathing or mobility difficulties.

The view from the crown is more limited than from the pedestal’s outdoor gallery due to the small windows. However, the main attraction is the ascent itself through the interior of the Statue of Liberty.

Visits to the crown are limited to approximately 10 minutes. The public is not permitted to enter the torch.

The height of the Statue of Liberty and the number of steps

The copper statue itself measures 46 metres from the feet to the tip of the torch; however, it stands on a 47-metre-high granite pedestal, bringing the total height from the ground to 93 metres.

There are a total of 377 steps leading from ground level up to the crown:

• 215 steps to the upper part of the plinth
• a further 162 steps from the plinth to the crown

The copper cladding is only approximately 2.4 mm thick. The familiar green colour is the result of the natural oxidation of the copper and also protects the metal from further damage.

Inside the plinth itself, you’ll find a small museum dedicated to the history of the Statue of Liberty’s construction.

Museums on Liberty Island and Ellis Island

All the main museums are included in the standard ticket, and there is no additional charge to visit them.

In the modern building near the pier, there is a souvenir shop, a café, a restaurant and another museum featuring scale models of parts of the statue, such as the toes, the torch and the face.

Entry to both museums is included in the price of the general admission ticket, so you don’t pay anything at the door.

Practical information and our experiences

On Liberty Island, you’ll find a drinking fountain with free drinking water near the café, where you can fill up your own bottle.

There are several cafés and restaurants available.

Free toilets are available inside the statue, in the museum and at the pier.

You may only enter the viewing platform in the granite plinth and the crown without any luggage. You can store your luggage in the lockers outside the entrance, which operate by inserting a quarter (0,25 usd). Payment is by cash only, but there is a currency exchange on site where you can get change.

You’ll get your quarter back when you open the locker again.

We recommend visiting the statue in the afternoon, when there are generally fewer people than in the morning and early afternoon.

Before boarding the ferry, you must go through a security check similar to that at an airport, though there aren’t usually long queues here (you’ll typically wait no more than 5 minutes).

How can you see the Statue of Liberty for free?

If you don’t want to pay, you can also see the Statue of Liberty from a distance of several dozen metres whilst on the Staten Island ferry. The ferry departs every 30 minutes from Staten Island Ferry (about 5 minutes from Battery Park) and is free of charge.

Ferries to Staten Island run 24 hours a day, so you can also enjoy the night-time views.

Other beautiful views of the statue can be enjoyed directly from Battery Park or Liberty State Park in New Jersey, from where the ferries depart.

Accommodation with a view of the Statue of Liberty

Would you like to have this American icon constantly in view? Book accommodation at one of the luxury hotels offering views of the southern part of the Hudson River and, consequently, the statue itself.

• Hyatt Regency Jersey City **** in New Jersey
• Casa Cipriani New York ***** in Manhattan

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What is the Statue of Liberty holding, and what does it symbolise?

The figure of the statue itself depicts Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty.

In her right hand, she holds a torch raised above her head as a symbol of enlightenment and the path to freedom. In her left hand, she clutches a tablet bearing the inscription ‘ JULY IV MDCCLXXVI ’, which, expressed in Roman numerals, represents the date 4 July 1776, the day the United States declared its independence.

At the base of the statue, broken chains and shackles are depicted, symbolising the abolition of slavery. Her right foot is raised slightly, as if the goddess were striding forward.

The story and history of the Statue of Liberty

You already know the most essential practical information for your visit, but how and where was the statue actually created?

A Gift from France to the Americans

The initial idea for the construction of a magnificent monument to liberty came from the French thinker Édouard René de Laboulaye, president of the French Society Against Slavery.

The statue was intended to commemorate the centenary of American independence, the end of the American Civil War and the friendship between France and the United States. Laboulaye also hoped that this imposing symbol of liberty would promote democratic ideals in France as well.

Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned as the principal sculptor; whilst visiting New York, he was struck by a small island at the entrance to the harbour, around which ships sailing into the city were passing at the time.

The internal supporting structure was later designed by Gustave Eiffel’s company.

A lack of funds and Pulitzer’s intervention

Construction began in France in 1875. The completed hand holding the torch was exhibited at the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia, whilst the entire statue was assembled in Paris between 1881 and 1884.

On 4 July 1884, the completed statue was officially handed over to the American ambassador in Paris. Workers then dismantled it into approximately 350 parts and transported it by ship to New York, where it arrived in June 1885.

The French financed the statue itself, whilst the Americans were to pay for its massive pedestal. However, for a long time there was a shortage of funds to complete it.

It was the journalist Joseph Pulitzer who was instrumental in raising the necessary funds. In his newspaper, * New York World *, he appealed to ordinary Americans for donations and published the names of individual donors regardless of the amount they gave.

Within a few months, over 120,000 people had contributed, and more than 100 000 usd was raised. Thanks to this, the plinth could be completed and the statue reassembled.

The Statue of Liberty was finally unveiled in New York on 28 October 1886.

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