How to Get to the Statue of Liberty

In movies, the Statue of Liberty has paraded through the streets of Manhattan as an avatar of New Yorkers’ spirit (“Ghostbusters 2”), been dressed up with Captain America’s shield (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”) and destroyed in basically every kind of disaster, but the good ol’ Lady Liberty is still standing as strong as ever. 

If you never visited on a school field trip or with your out-of-town family, it’s worth seeing for yourself up close at least once. Here’s how to get there.

Ferry cruises

You don’t need a ticket to enter the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, but you do need a ticket to ride the ferry to get there. Here’s a very important part: the vendor authorized to sell tickets to Liberty and Ellis Islands is City Experiences. If someone else tries to sell you a ticket, don’t buy it! 

Tickets include round-trip ferry rides, an audio tour, access to the Ellis Island Museum and the Statue of Liberty pedestal (the crown of the statue is currently not open to the public). Ferries run from morning through late afternoon. Check here for updated times. 

Where to get tickets

You can buy tickets via City Experiences. Get your tickets online in advance to cut down any confusion when looking for a ticket booth. Tickets start at $23.80. 

Boat by, for free

This is a hack we will repeat to our tourist friends until the Harbor runs dry: The Staten Island Ferry is a perfectly fine, and free, way to see the Statue of Liberty. The ferry leaves from Whitehall Terminal, goes right by Lady Liberty, providing some perfect picture opportunities (twice, with the round trip). Plus, you can buy cheap beer on board the boat too.