Explore Two American Landmarks When You Visit The Statue Of Liberty & Ellis Island In New York

Whether you enjoy history or not, seeing the Statue Of Liberty in person is inevitably on everyone’s New York City bucket list. You can see this American icon from Battery Park or aboard the Staten Island Ferry; however, the best way to experience the splendor of this man-made wonder for yourself is a tour with Statue City Cruises and the National Park Service. And, of course, each tour stops at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum as well, a must-visit for anyone interested in American history or with a family connection to this immigration hub.

When I moved to the east coast in 2021, New York City was on the top of my bucket list, but it took until recently to actually make the trip. I had visited twice in college for newspaper conventions, but didn’t experience as much of city as I would have liked, so in February, we made up for it as best we could during a four-day weekend, including stops at more coffee shops than I can recall, a Broadway show, and so much more, including the Statue Of Liberty and Ellis Island.

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Statue Of Liberty: Tickets, Security & More

It is best to book your Statue of Liberty tickets in advance. We personally used the Statue Of Liberty Tickets site, but I have seen tickets offered on other sites as well. Tickets were $30 per person, $31.30 for pedestal or crown access (these tickets are limited).

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Please note that your reservation time is not a set time as much as it is a means for the operation to spread out crowds throughout the day. I stressed a little about arriving on time and would have greatly benefitted from knowing this.

Once you arrive and get in line, you will be guided towards security before boarding the ferry. The airport-like security can take quite some time, and while you don’t have to take your shoes off, you will need to remove your coat and anything from your pockets.

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The ferries operate on a schedule, shuttling guests between Manhattan, Liberty Island, and Ellis Island. When we visited over President’s Day weekend, the lines were long, but not unbearable — I imagine it would be much worse during the busy tourist season.

Dress appropriately for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and bring entertainment for any children. You’ll also want to plan at least a half-day for the excursion: we arrived around 11 a.m. and left around 4 p.m.

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The Statue Of Liberty

Gifted to the United States by France to commemorate 100 years of independence, construction of this national treasure was completed in 1884, where it was reduced to 350 individual pieces, packed in 214 crates, and shipped across the Atlantic to New York Harbor.

The Statue of Liberty was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886, and is now recognized as a universal symbol of democracy and freedom. It was declared a National Monument in 1924, and is now under the care of the National Park Service.

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As soon as we set sail towards Liberty Island, guests were quickly clamoring for the best photo opportunities, and I couldn’t blame them. The views of Manhattan, New York Harbor, Liberty Island, and Ellis Island were truly remarkable.

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Once you land at Liberty Island, you can take a stroll around the iconic monument, explore the Statue of Liberty Museum, or grab a bite to eat or a souvenir. We walked around for a bit, then made our way to the pedestal.

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To access the pedestal, you must have purchased a special ticket with included pedestal access in advance. You can also buy tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty’s crown, though they were sold out by the time we booked our excursion.

We stashed our bags in a bank of outdoor lockers (the lockers cost a quarter), and headed indoors through another round of screening before being ushered into the elevator. It’s only five flights of stairs, but with a toddler strapped to my husband’s chest, the elevator was a welcome reprieve.

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Once on the pedestal, the views of the surrounding harbor and city opened up in a spectacular way and we soaked it all in before the wind got to us and ushered us back inside and back to the ground.

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It was time to move onto our next destination, so we caught the ferry after standing in line for what felt like an eternity in the wind, but was probably only 30 minutes.

I’ll be honest: after two and a half days of walking nearly everywhere, including several hours at The Met the day prior, we were feeling tired of walking and standing in lines, but we don’t plan on coming back to the Statue of Liberty anytime soon (if ever), so we rallied and got off the ferry at Ellis Island – and I am so glad we did.

Ellis Island National Immigration Museum

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A symbol of American immigration, the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum is gives guests an in-depth lesson about immigration during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

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During our visit, we learned all about Ellis Island’s history – before, during, and after its use as an immigration hub. We discovered why so many families chose to immigrate to America and what became of them after their arrival: where and how they lived, what jobs they found, and how their families grew.

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Guests can even view genealogy records of their ancestry, celebrating and honoring the family members that made the arduous journey to a new life in America.

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The entire museum was wonderfully curated, and showcases the good and the bad of immigration policy during this time period as well as the construction of Ellis Island, how it fell into disrepair after its use as an immigration hub, and its restoration into the monument it is today. It was a powerful experience we’ll remember forever.

‘Visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity and should truly be checked off everyone’s U.S. Bucket List in their lifetime – whether your family immigrated through Ellis Island or you simply enjoy history, architecture, or stunning views. 

To discover more incredible boots-on-the-ground adventures across America from our team of local travel experts, check out all of the articles in OnlyInYourState’s Everyday Explorers series. What destinations would you like to see featured next on OnlyInYourState’s Everyday Explorers? Tell us where we should go on our nominations page.