Visiting the Statue
Planning a trip soon? You’ll definitely want to include Lady Liberty in your itinerary, it’s one of the most prized attractions in New York City. In order to ensure that your time goes as smoothly as possible, we recommend organizing the details of your visit to the famous statue beforehand.
Firstly, you should book a ferry ticket that’ll bring you directly to the island. Statue Cruises are the recommended service as they are authorized by the National Park Service. The ticket will include free access to the recently opened Statue of Liberty Museum as well as entry to the Ellis Island Museum. Tickets can be purchased online or at the ferry departure points which are located in Battery Park and Liberty State Park. However, purchasing online is recommended as it allows you to easily plan in advance.
Departure – How to Get There
Traveling to the Statue of Liberty is pretty simple, you’ll be departing from either one of the ferry points that are located in Battery Park and Liberty State Park. Before you leave, you should plan your journey to these locations, this way you’ll be sure to get to Liberty Island early and avoid any unnecessary travel complications or stress along the way.
Battery Park
Battery Park is in Manhattan, at the southern tip of the city. It’s surrounded by New York Harbor and the Hudson River as you’ll see when you arrive. There are various forms of transportation that will bring you to the park. The subway, bus, and train are the main ones, they’re super easy to access from different points around the city and even out of state.
If you head to the MTA website, you can set the destination as Battery Park and add your current location for a display of the best route to take as well as how to purchase those tickets for your transportation (they can be purchased online or at the station kiosks). For a point of reference, from Times Square in New York City you can take the train southbound from Times Square Station (1, 2, or 3) to the South Ferry Stop.
From there you’ll make a quick 5 minute walk, then, you’ve arrived at Battery Park. The bus is another good option, from near Times Square you can take the bus from the 5 Av/W 41 St Stop to the South Ferry Stop as well. The MTA website also provides a detailed schedule of the bus routes and times from several different points around the city. Some other commonly used stations to get to the ferry at Battery Park include Penn Station,
Liberty State Park
Liberty State Park is the other popular point of departure for the ferry that arrives at Liberty Island, where the wonderful Statue of Liberty resides. This park is located in Jersey City, New Jersey and similar to Battery Park in NYC, it is easily accessible via public transportation that’s provided throughout the state of New Jersey. Newark Penn Station is one of the most frequently used stations in the state and if you leave from there you’ll have a relatively simple journey to the destination.
As suggested on the Liberty State Park Website, take the PATH subway to the Exchange Place stop in Jersey City. Then from there you’ll take the Light Rail to Liberty State Park, followed by a short trip on the shuttle bus to the ferry slip. In addition to Newark Penn Station, you can also embark from Hoboken Station and Journal Square in Jersey City. If you’re interested in learning about alternative departure points, the New Jersey Transit website is a great resource to plan your route with ease.
Views from the Crown & Pedestal
Interested in touring the pedestal or the crown of the statue? Access to the pedestal is free but keep in mind that there are limitations, you’re required to reserve your spot in advance in order to include that extra component. Tickets to view and walk around the crown of the statue can be purchased for an extra fee online, they also include both pedestal and regular entry to the museum.
Take note- crown access requires walking up several flights of stairs, but the experience will be worth it. From these additional points, you’ll look down at the hundreds of skyscrapers scattered across the city and the constant motion of its inhabitants seeming to dance to the tune of the city that never sleeps. It’s a magical view that you’ll appreciate seeing!
If you want to check out the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and many of the other sights that New York City has to offer, check out our popular tours!
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