The Statue of Liberty is the copper colossus on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, a gift from the people of France dedicated on October 28, 1886, and now a national monument run by the National Park Service. The park charges no entrance fee, but the only way onto the island is the Statue City Cruises ferry from the Battery in Lower Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey. As of October 2026 the round trip costs $26 for adults, $23 for seniors 62+ and $17 for children aged 4 to 12, and it includes Ellis Island, both museums and an audio tour. Pedestal and crown access cost 30 cents more but must be booked ahead. Ferries run every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; the park suggests allowing most of a day.
Right now in Statue of Liberty
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Why the Statue of Liberty matters
The idea came in 1865 from Édouard de Laboulaye, a French scholar of the U.S. Constitution, who proposed that France give the United States a statue representing liberty for its centennial. The sculptor Auguste Bartholdi took up the project and chose the site, then called Bedloe’s Island, on a visit in 1871. The two countries split the work: France paid for the statue and Americans for the pedestal. When Bartholdi’s first engineer died in 1879, Gustave Eiffel designed the iron framework that holds the copper skin. The statue was assembled in Paris, formally presented to the United States on July 4, 1884, then taken apart and shipped to New York, arriving on June 17, 1885. Money for the pedestal ran out until Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper campaign raised more than $100,000, and Richard Morris Hunt’s granite pedestal was finished in 1886. President Grover Cleveland accepted the statue at its dedication that October, the day New York held its first ticker-tape parade.
Its official name is “Liberty Enlightening the World.” The tablet in her left hand carries the date July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals, and broken chains lie at her feet, out of sight from the ground. The copper is only 3/32 of an inch thick, about two pennies, and it took roughly 30 years to weather from penny brown to green. From the ground to the tip of the torch the monument stands 305 feet 1 inch (93 meters). Emma Lazarus wrote her poem “The New Colossus” in 1883 to raise money for the pedestal, and a plaque with its words was mounted on the base in 1903. The statue became a national monument in 1924, was restored for its centennial in 1984–86, when the torch was replaced, and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984.
What you’ll see
- Liberty Island grounds: open to every ticket holder, with the walk around the statue’s base, views of Lower Manhattan, and free 35-minute ranger tours that start at the flagpole.
- The Statue of Liberty Museum: free for everyone on the island, with exhibits, an immersive theater and the original 1886 torch, replaced by today’s gold-leaf copper flame in 1986.
- The pedestal: with a pedestal ticket you go inside the monument and up to the top of Hunt’s pedestal and the walls of old Fort Wood, with panoramic harbor views and a look up into Eiffel’s iron framework.
- The crown: 162 narrow steps on a double-helix spiral stair above the pedestal lead to the crown’s 25 windows, with tightly framed views of the harbor, Manhattan and Brooklyn. The torch itself has never been open to the public.
- Ellis Island: every ferry ticket includes the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, where some 12 million immigrants were processed between 1892 and 1954. The ferry company suggests one to two hours there.
The self-guided audio tour, included in the ticket, covers both islands in 12 languages, with a family version for children aged 6 to 10 and a descriptive version for visitors who are blind or have low vision.
Tickets and how to visit
From the National Park Service and Statue City Cruises, as of October 2026:
- Prices: adults (13+) $26; seniors (62+) $23; children 4–12 $17; under-4s free. Pedestal access adds $0.30 per person and crown access $0.30 (crown not open to under-4s). The Ellis Island Hard Hat Tour of the old hospital buildings adds $55 and is for visitors over 13. National park passes and fee-free days do not apply, because the ticket is a ferry fare, not an entrance fee.
- Where to buy: only from Statue City Cruises, online at statuecitycruises.com, by phone at 877-523-9849, or at its ticket windows in Castle Clinton in the Battery and in the old railroad terminal at Liberty State Park. The park warns against street sellers near the Battery and online resellers, some of whose boats only circle the island without landing.
- Booking the crown: crown tickets must be reserved in advance, with no same-day sales or waitlist, and often sell out months ahead; the park says four to six months depending on the season. There is a maximum of four per order and one reservation per person every six months. The buyer collects the tickets and wristbands at the will-call window with photo ID and the card used to pay, and every adult shows photo ID. Children must be at least 42 inches (1.1 meters) tall and with an adult, and the visit inside the crown is limited to 10 minutes.
- Days and times: ferries run daily except Thanksgiving Day and December 25, rain or shine; departure times vary by season, so check the schedule on the ferry company’s website. The time on your ticket is when to join the security line, not a ferry departure. With an entry time of 2:00 p.m. or later there is only time for one island.
- Changes and refunds: reserve tickets are valid for their date and time only; you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours ahead, and refunds are given if the islands close for weather or security.
- Security and bags: everyone goes through airport-style screening before boarding, and there are no lockers at the screening buildings. Suitcases and other large bags, drones, weapons and large flags are not allowed. To enter the pedestal you pass a second screening: backpacks, food, drinks other than water in a clear plastic bottle, strollers and tripods go in lockers on the island (25-cent deposit, quarters only). In the crown you may carry only a phone, a camera, water and medicine.
- Food: both islands have cafés, and you may bring your own sealed food, though not coolers. Ferries have a snack bar. Pets are not allowed on the ferries or islands; service animals are, except in the crown.
How long to allow and when to go
Seeing both islands takes most of a day, so the park recommends an early ferry. Allow time for security at the departure point: the line can take an hour or more in summer, at weekends and over the winter holidays, although the screening itself takes only 5 to 10 minutes once you are inside. The ferry company says Liberty State Park often has a faster line and easy parking. Ferries from the Battery stop at Liberty Island first and those from New Jersey at Ellis Island first; you can return to either shore, but once you step off you cannot reboard to cross back. The statue’s interior is not air-conditioned and can feel up to 20 degrees warmer than outside on hot days, and the only restrooms inside are in the lobby, so stop before the crown climb.
Accessibility
The ferries have accessible boarding, and the grounds of Liberty Island, the information center, café and gift shop are wheelchair accessible, with accessible restrooms in the gift pavilion. With a pedestal reservation, an elevator and a wheelchair lift reach the top of the pedestal, where you can see the statue’s inner structure; the outdoor observation deck and balcony are not wheelchair accessible, and the crown is reached by stairs only. A limited number of wheelchairs can be borrowed free on both islands in exchange for photo ID, but not at the ferry docks. Open-captioned films, large-print and Braille brochures, and audio-described tours are available, and American Sign Language tours can be arranged with three weeks’ written notice. Checking the tide chart can make boarding easier.
Getting there
In Manhattan, ferries leave from the Battery at the southern tip of the island, with tickets and screening at Castle Clinton (for GPS, 1 Battery Place or 17 State Street). The nearest subway stops are South Ferry on the 1, Whitehall Street on the R and Bowling Green on the 4 and 5; the M5, M15 and M20 buses stop at South Ferry. There is no dedicated parking, and private garages are limited and expensive. In New Jersey, ferries leave from Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, where parking costs $7 per car; the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stops at Liberty State Park, about a 1-mile walk from the ferry.
Combine it with
Ellis Island is about 1.2 km away and on the same ticket, so most visitors see both. Back in Manhattan, Castle Clinton and the Battery’s harbor promenade are where you queue, and the 9/11 Memorial and Wall Street are a short subway ride or walk north. For the rest of the city, see our New York City travel guide and our city sightseeing guide. To continue the story of American independence, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are in Philadelphia, and the national monuments and museums are in Washington, D.C. For entry rules and planning, see our United States travel guide.
Statue of Liberty FAQ
How much are Statue of Liberty tickets?
As of October 2026 the official ferry ticket costs $26 for adults, $23 for seniors 62+, $17 for children aged 4 to 12 and nothing for under-4s. It includes Liberty and Ellis Islands, both museums and the audio tour. Pedestal or crown access adds $0.30 per person.
Is there a fee to enter the Statue of Liberty National Monument?
No. The National Park Service charges no entrance fee; what you pay is the ferry fare of Statue City Cruises, the only company allowed to land on the islands. For that reason national park passes are not accepted.
How far ahead should I book the crown?
As early as you can. Crown tickets are sold only in advance, with a limit of four per order, and usually sell out months ahead; the park suggests four to six months depending on the season.
How many steps are there to the crown?
From the top of the pedestal, 162 narrow steps on a spiral staircase, with no elevator. The ferry company counts 393 steps from the ground, about a 27-story climb, with four platforms to rest on the way.
Can you visit both Liberty Island and Ellis Island in one day?
Yes, on the same ticket, if you start early. With an entry time of 2:00 p.m. or later, there is only time to see one island properly.
Is the Statue of Liberty in New York or New Jersey?
Liberty Island is federal land administered by the National Park Service and lies within the State of New York; an 1834 agreement left the surrounding waters to New Jersey. Ferries leave from both Manhattan and Jersey City.