Are you going to visit New York? Here’s all you need to know to visit the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States!
The most emblematic monument of the United States, the Statue of Liberty is a must for anyone who goes to New York . Symbol of freedom illuminating the world – it is also the original name of the building – it was built in France in 1886, given to the United States to celebrate the centenary of the American Declaration of Independence, which took place a hundred years earlier. Since 1984, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visiting the Statue of Liberty is one of the major architectural masterpieces of the 19th century. Here is everything you need to know about this world-renowned monument, symbol of the primacy of democracy and freedoms on all forms of oppression.
What to do by going to visit the Statue of Liberty?
Planted in her base on Liberty Island , the copper statue represents a crowned woman, clothed with a long folded dress, turned to Europe and branding a torch to illuminate the world. The balcony of the crown peaks at 93 meters above the ground – same height as the Mont-Saint-Michel - and weighs 225 tons. The statue itself is 45 metres high and attracts nearly 5 million visitors per year.
Photo credit: Flickr – Samuel Ioannidis
Several visiting formulas offer you to visit the Statue of Liberty:
- Visit Liberty Island, then the Statue of Liberty,
- Walk around the Statue of Liberty,
- Mount only to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty,
- Get in the crown, and in the footsteps of the Statue of Liberty,
- See Fort Wood, the 5 statues (representing Édouard-René de Laboulaye, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, Gustave Eiffel, Joseph Pulitzer and Emma Lazarus) at the foot of the Statue of Liberty,
- Combine the visit of the Statue of Liberty with the immigration museum on Ellis Island (the most popular visit).
By landing from the ferry on Liberty Island, you will see how majestic the statue is. The island, ovoid, is small, it visits very quickly on foot. During your visit, you will discover a beautiful view of the New York Skyline. Closer to the statue, enter Fort Wood if your ticket is compatible, built between 1808 and 1811 to protect the port of New York. Then, go to the inner-seat set of the statue from below, that is, you can contemplate the iron frame of the monument. There are three distinct sites to visit: the Fort, the base-base set of the statue, accessible from the Fort, and the ascent of the 354 steps to the crown.
Photo credit: Flickr – flowcomm
The visit of the statue consists of a museum and – as the ascent rises – of viewers on the bay of New York. In the various rooms of the museum, watch historical pieces retracing the construction of the statue, photos of the Gaget and Gauthier workshops and pictures of the construction in Paris, step by step. Then climb the 7 levels leading to the crown by taking advantage of a 360° view across New York Bay, at 50 metres above sea level. The crown consists of 25 small windows, so do not expect a great panoramic view! Note that to climb up to the crown, only the site Statue Cruises (in English) sells tickets, but you have to take them 2 to 4 months in advance !
To visit the Statue of Liberty, it is also to imagine being reviving the trauma of 12 million people who emigrated from 1892 to 1954 from the countries of Europe (Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc.) to New York to find better living conditions, and whose Statue of Liberty was the first thing seen in their new host country. From Liberty Island, go back to the boat to go to Ellis Island and visit the U.S. Immigration Museum. On Ellis Island, migrants were undergoing medical checks and examinations. Imagine yourself in the head of a migrant of the time, full of stress, fatigue, anguish and sadness of leaving his country, in the Registry Room , the registration room, where 5,000 people per day were subjected to harsh and strict sanitary controls.
It would be a shame to visit the Statue of Liberty without doing Ellis Island, an important page in the history of the United States.
Photo credit: Flickr – Ana Paula Hirama
How can I access the Statue of Liberty?
There are two points of access per boat to visit the Statue of Liberty. And we can’t access it by its own boat – if you have one – because the connection is regulated and insured by a single private company, named “Stue Cruises”.
The first departure is in Battery Park, south of Manhattan. The other is located at Liberty State Park on the western shores of New Jersey. The route is from Battery Park to Liberty Island, from Liberty Island to Ellis Island, and from Ellis Island to the starting point.
Of course, it is not mandatory to visit the two islands, one can quite visit only one and then return.
Bookings, rates and schedules of visits
Due to the high potential tourist affluence, we recommend that you book your ticket online according to the various tour options you wish.
Online, you will have to choose the date of your visit, time and number of people. Once purchased, tickets are available at Castle Clinton National and Railroad Terminal Building, New York Central Station.
Photo credit: Flickr – minnemom
The boats of the company Statue Cruise offer their crossing from 8:30 to 19:00.
Please note that the usual time to visit both islands is estimated at 5 hours. Therefore, choose a rather early time slot, because after 14 hours you can only visit one island!
Museums are open every day of the year except December 25.
Rates :
- Single ticket (two islands + ferry) and pedestal (two islands + ferry + pedestal of the Statue of Liberty):
- Adults from 13 years old: $18.5,
- Adults aged 62 and over: $14,
- Children 4 to 12 years old: $9,
- Children under 4 years old: Free.
- Crown note (two islands + ferry + pedestal + crown of the statue):
- Adults from 13 years old: $21.5,
- Adults aged 62 and over: $17,
- Children 4 to 12 years old: $9,
- Children under 4 years old: Free.
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