A trip to Liberty and Ellis islands starts before you even get on the boat. When you get to Battery Park, walk around the open gardens and spend some time investigating Castle Clinton — a historic fort from the War of You might also see street performers and acrobats, so feel free to watch them as well. Once you board the ferry, have your camera ready for spectacular panoramas of New York Harbor. You can also see the Statue of Liberty as you approach. The island also includes a 26,square-foot museum that visitors can explore for no additional fee.
A trip on top of the pedestal also for no additional charge offers sweeping views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey, but reservations must be made in advance. At 3 million visitors a year, Ellis Island is one of the most popular destinations in the National Park Service, thanks in part to the Immigration Museum. Inside the museum, visitors can browse ledgers that date back more than years, searching for the signatures of their ancestors.
The museum also frequently features rotating exhibits, and they include a complimentary audio tour with each ticket. Keeping track of millions of visitors every year is no easy task. As such, visitors must go through security and be mindful of certain rules and regulations when visiting. Follow these steps to make things stress-free and easy. Subway service can also be inconsistent on weekends and during rush hour. Additionally, there are typically long lines to board the ferry at Castle Clinton that sometimes wrap around Battery Park as early as a.
So to reduce stress and skip the hassle, plan some extra time for your travel. Trust me on this one. This also includes the time it would take to ride to Ellis Island too. The boats do have bathrooms and snack bars on board. So if you want to avoid having to stop for bathroom breaks or food once you get to Liberty Island, you can use the ferry ride to save time. This could be spent taking pictures, grabbing a bite to eat, or shopping for souvenirs.
This is also a good buffer if you wind up in a time snag, like having to wait for the next ferry or getting caught in a long security line. With double the amount of time, there is a lot more for you to see at both Liberty and Ellis islands. This is what I recommend! You might be wondering, what else is there to do? Everything mentioned above seems to cover it. Well, three hours might be enough time to see the important things, but if you really want to explore what each site has to offer, you could easily fill another hours.
If you have that extra time on your hands, why not spend it exploring Battery Park? Take 30 minutes before or after your Statue of Liberty visit to check out some of the monuments and buildings. During my tours, I always make sure to start out with a quick overview of the park and everything there is to see. Just remember, if you want to see the crown, you must buy tickets online at least a few months in advance.
Depending on how fast you climb, it can take anywhere from minutes to get to the top. Again, 30 minutes would be plenty of time to experience all the content in the museum. If you want to learn even more about the statue, you could also visit the mini-museum inside the pedestal. However, you would need a pedestal or crown ticket in order to do so. Having extra time means being able to make room for some more leisurely activities.
You could spend this time buying a souvenir or getting food, but definitely make sure you get some good pictures too. Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling. After traveling to countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Really informative article!
I feel if you have a bit of money to spare, taking a helicopter ride can be a great idea. It gives you a great view of the statue of liberty. Plus, you do not have to wait for hours in lines! Hey, thank you for this article, it is really one of the most comprehensive on the topic.
You can not go to New York and not visit the Statue of Liberty or Elis island, so we are planning to see both places, but we were a little worried bout the logistic aspect. You covered that, so now we are relaxed and ready to start our summer vacation. Thanks again and i love your travel blog! Hello Dave and Deb Thank you for sharing your Great post, Love to read your post, you are using so normal words which is easy for everybody. You are justa amazing. Your advice,your trips,your tips ara awasome..
Thank you planetD.. Greetings from Greece. I will visit toronto for 5 days and New York for 7 days at octomber. Do you think its fair enough?? Wow, things have really changed since I visited the Statue of Liberty! There were no special passes or several month waits to visit the crown. But still being near the famous Statue and strolling there was a great feeling.
Visiting Ellis Island Museum was also a memorable experience. Glad you got a chance to visit her. My grandfather came through Ellis Island from Poland at age 11 — I find it so exciting that he was part of such a momentous time in US history. His story could have been lifted out of a textbook. He really embodied the American Dream of that era.
Wow, that is amazing Liz. It was quite a monumental time in history. A whole country was being built on immigrants and what an amazing country it turned out to be. We booked about 5 weeks ahead and could only get into the base. Thanks for the tip. The crowds seemed very light up there. But the security is stricter than at an airport they even have body scanning devices.
Thanks for the great information. But you are absolutely right, I remember hearing announcements that you will have to check large bags and backpacks. Security is very strict at the Statue of Liberty. It is much better to go with less. Thanks again for the great tips! Oh, this is a really nice post!
I just love your photos! Seeing Lady Liberty was also a highlight for me, although I only got to see her from the Ferry, it was still a moving sight. You have 9 days from the first use to get it all in. It seems that we all have the distant memory of peaking out the crown.
That sounds like an amazing school trip. Table of Contents.
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