What It Costs to Visit the Statue of Liberty

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statue of liberty

Ballpark estimate: Price: $18 per adult (Plus $3 more for access to the crown)

No trip to New York City would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty. This landmark sculpture sits on Liberty Island at the mouth New York Harbor and welcomes visitors to the big apple It has also served as a landmark over the decades for immigrants who came to the United States from other countries.

An Illustrious History

The 152-foot tall statute, which was a joint effort between a French sculptor named Frédéric Bartholdi and French engineer Gustave Eiffel (who created the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France), was given to the United States as a symbol of their international alliance in 1886 in honor of the 100th anniversary of America’s independence. To commemorate this occasion, Lady Liberty (as she is sometimes called) holds the Declaration of Independence in one hand and there are broken shackles that she appears to be stepping from, which are symbolic of America gaining her freedom. The statue also sits atop a pedestal with a plaque that contains a sonnet composed by American poet Emma Lazarus.

Logistic for the Trip

When you visit the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, you can also visit Ellis Island and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. In order to get to both islands, you’ll need to take a ferry. Statue Cruises is the designated transportation and operates two terminals, with the most popular one located in Lower Manhattan/Battery Park.

The ferry stops at both islands but there are a variety of tours and options you can select. Most tours accept very limited numbers of tourists and book up very quickly. Therefore, you’ll want to make a reservation well in advance to secure your spot.

Cost Considerations

The cost to visit the Statue of Liberty depends on the ferry option you select and what type of access you desire when it comes to viewing the statue itself.

For instance, if you don’t want to spend any money for this trip, you can hop on the Staten Island ferry and just pass by the Statue of Liberty without getting off the boat and seeing it up close.

You can also pay for a Statue Cruise ferry ride that includes access to the statue. For instance, you can select a standard/reserved ticket option that allows you to tour the island without actually entering the statue itself. Or, if space permits you can get a ticket for pedestal access of the statue. This option provides several observation points but the tickets become filled very quickly.

For those who qualify, you may want to reserve a ticket that allows you to walk up the stairs to the top/crown level of the State of Liberty. There is no elevator that goes up this high, so this journey requires some strenuous walking.

For both the pedestal and crown levels, visits will need to rent a locker to stow backpacks and other carried or loose items.

How to Get Tickets

To plan a trip to the Statue of Liberty, you can visit the National Park Service’s website for more information. To buy your tickets, you can get them online directly through Statue Cruises. Statecruises.com also provides ferry schedules, port locations, and more.

There are also other tour companies that sell tickets to visit the Statute of Liberty. It’s important to know that many of them will mark up the price.

Buyer Beware

Some people may approach you in New York City (especially in the Battery Park area) and offer to sell you “discounted” individual tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty. Most experts warn that these tickets could be fake, or the price could be steeply inflated. Therefore, it’s safest to purchase your tickets directly from the cruise company.

Cost to Visit the Statue of Liberty

When purchasing a ticket to visit the Statue of Liberty, the simplest option is a Standard /Reserve Ticket, which includes the ferry ride, access to walk around Liberty Island, a visit to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, and an audio tour. While prices can change periodically, as of September 2016, the cost for Standard/Reserve Tickets is $18 per adult, $14 for seniors, and $8 per child.

You may also select Pedestal Access Tickets. There is no extra charge for this option, which allows you to go inside the statue’s pedestal and also includes an audio tour. The cost for Pedestal Access is also $18 per adult, $14 for seniors, and $9 per child.

If you would like to request Crown Access, there is a $3 additional charge per person for this option. There is also a long lead time for this option, since space is limited and in high demand. So the total cost for Crown Access is $21 per adult, $17 per senior, and $12 per child. Because Crown Access is in such demand and is so limited, people may not visit the crown more than once in a six-month period.

The Pay Off

If you can get a Crown reservation and can make the climb, which is equal to about 27 flights, you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience bird’s eye views of Manhattan and this will make your visit to New York City truly memorable.

A Final Note

Note that if you purchase a New York City sightseeing or attraction pass, it may include access to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island without any addition costs required.