Great tips for visiting the Statue of Liberty

Once you have your tickets, there are few more important things to know. Read on to see what to expect when visiting the Statue of Liberty.

Getting tickets

I bought my tickets ahead of time. The Statue of Liberty National Monument website sells the tickets you need to purchase. I purchased tickets for the Crown before I left for NYC. I was one ticket short and forgot to get the extra one. You can only get so many at a time.

Day of our tour

I went to the Ticket Booth to get the one extra ticket. There is a QR code on a sign near the ticket booth. I signed in to see if there were any available. There was one available for us. Yeah!

I did decide to go to the ticket booth. While I was at the ticket booth window, the person printed out our tickets. We also got our wrist bands for the Crown. We all had to be there to get our bands. As we were not, she held the bands belonging to the ones that were coming. I’m not sure if I would have gotten the bands at the boat location. So I was happy I went to the ticket booth.

If you have the electronic tickets to the pedestal, I do not think you need to go to the Ticket Booth. You only need to go to the boat. Check out the map above as to where the boat is located in Battery Park.

Make sure you arrive early so you don’t miss your time. If you need to go to the Ticket booth for your bands to go the Crown, you will have to walk there and back. Notice that the boat is far away from the ticket booth.

Before loading the boat, you will go through security. It is much like airport security. So you aren’t surprised, Will tell you that there are two. The second one is when you go up to the pedestal. The security here is just like the first one. So if you took off your belt the first time, you might want to keep it off until after the second security check.

On the boat

There is food and bathrooms on the boat. You can sit anywhere you want to. There are shaded spots inside the boat and sunny spots on top. If you are in a hurry to get off, you will want to make your way down to the exit before landing. If you don’t care, stand where you want and get the pictures you want. You will pass in front of the Statue.

one side note

It is recommended by many bloggers to take the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. It is a free ferry. The Staten Island Ferry runs all day. If you decide, after reading this post, that you don’t want to spend any money to see the Statue of Liberty, make sure you are on the side of the Statue both ways.

Keep in mind that you will not get close at all.

Statue of Liberty Island

The Pedestal

Before going up the pedestal, you will need to store what you are not allowed to bring. If you have things you cannot take, there are lockers on the left. The lockers are 25¢ to use. If you have a problem with a locker, there is usually someone there to help you.

getting to the pedestal

There are two ways to go up to the pedestal:

• the stairs or the elevator

We were planning on taking the elevator up but there was a long line. So we took the stairs up. It wasn’t too bad.

the pedestal

When you reach the pedestal you will find:

• two doorways: one on the East and another on the West sides outside
• a place to sit inside the pedestal
• an elevator
• stairs that people come up from or go down
• two sets of spiral stairs. These spiral staircases are roped off.

We were there in the mid afternoon time frame. It was very crowded. Take your time and make sure you get the great New York City skyline pictures. This is panoramic picture.

the crown

If you have Crown tickets, you need to talk to the Ranger near the elevator. This person will ask to see your bands and then cut them off. You will then be admitted to the spiral staircase.

We walk many steps up the spiral staircase. This staircase is very cool as it is well engineered. There is a second staircase for going down attached to the one that goes up.

If you feel you might get tired, there are places to rest along the way. Take notice of the inside of the Statue as you rest. You might just want to stop along the way to enjoy all what you can see. You probably won’t be back again. So take your time!

in the crown

Up in the Crown there are tiny windows in which you can see out. It was quite warm. Not too many people can beep there at once. There were 2 Rangers and about five tourists. Going to the Crown is a fantastic experience. Something every able body should do at least once!

Make sure to see the tablet she is holding. You can get a picture of it. Did you know that July 4th 1776 is written on the tablet?

Here you can see the bottom of the torch through the crown window and the inside of her hair.

On the way down, notice the ladder that leads up to the torch. It is only a short distance down as you walk down the stairs on your left.

Down on the ground

We collected our things from the locker and headed to the gift shop to the right. We came upon a gift shop on the left with a museum on the right. It is this gift shop where your kids can their National Passport stamp for the Statue of Liberty.

There is another gift shop over by the food. You can grab an ice cream cone and sit to enjoy the view.

Our wait to get back on the boat wasn’t long at all. We did get off at Ellis Island before we headed back. This was included in our ticket.

Take Aways

• This is a MUST when coming to NYC. It is MUCH better than seeing it from afar on the Staten Island Ferry
• Do go up to the Crown. Get your tickets before you come. Make sure you have all of them.
• Plan to spend a half day when visiting

If you plan on coming to NYC, read my other post:

10 Tips for Traveling to New York City

What was your experience when visiting the Statue of Liberty? Do you think it is a MUST see when visiting NYC? Share in the comments below!