A Guide to visiting the Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty was formed to commemorate the friendship between the France and the United States and the alliance they had during the American Revolution. The statue was proposed by the President of the French Anti-Slavery society who thought that the sculpture could be a good symbol to represent liberty and celebrate the wise decision of Abraham Lincoln by abolishing slavery. So in the event of the hundredth anniversary of the independence of the United States, the French presented them the gift of the Statue of Liberty. The initial proposal of the collaborations included the French financing the work and the Americans providing the site to work on the pedestal. The collaboration soon came to be known as the mother of exile, a beacon for the millions of immigrants that came to the country to escape the harsh conditions from Europe at that time. The Statue of Liberty still stands today to greet anyone with opportunity and hope.

The crown that you see above the statue is actually a diadem, which stands for sovereignty and the seven spikes in its structure depicts the seven continents and the seven oceans making it a universal sign of liberty. The 25 windows found in the head gear is also believed to represent the gemstones found in earth. There are various interpretations of the crown which you might come across but all has a common agenda to showcase the unified idea of a liberal world.

The statue of Liberty was originally reddish brown in color as it was made of copper but the color eventually turned into green due to oxidation caused by pollution. The green masterpiece has a height of 46 m and with the pedestal; the height comes to a total of 93 m. She is very heavy weighing approximately 204116 kg and her foot is considered to be of size 879.Statue of Liberty even has a poem written to her. Emma Lazarus, an American poet wrote a sonnet back in the year 1883 called the "The New Colossus" to raise funds for the construction of the pedestal. Also known as the Statue of Liberty poem, the poem did not receive much attention initially and was forgotten after the money was raised. The poem later became a nation-wide success after her death when her friend began a campaign. It was so successful that the poem got engraved in a bronze plaque mounted inside the pedestal’s bottom level in the year 1903. The torch she holds today is a replacement to the original which was corroded. The old torch is still in display at the museum in the pedestal

Statue of Liberty is located at Liberty Island, Manhattan in New York City. A tour to the US without visiting the Statue of Liberty is almost like visiting India without exploring the Taj Mahal. The statue is almost open throughout the year, so no time is a bad time to pay a visit. There are several options to take the tour, this includes-

You can get hold of this ticket by paying a price of $18. The ticket will include the ferry ride to the Liberty Island and Ellis Island but it won’t give you access to the statue. You could take a guided tour around the island which also has a museum. There are self-guided tours available in the form of audios explaining you everything and getting you across the islands has in many languages like Spanish, French, Italian etc. The ticket includes a priority screening access and to become the first one to get into the boat.

This ticket comes with the same price and buying this ticket will have the same above privileges and added access to the pedestal known as the Ford wood section. The ticket also has priority screening for the first and the second slot. It is highly recommended to get hold of this ticket instead of the first one because of the added incentives it has while paying the same amount of money.

This ticket comes at a price of $21 and has access to the island and a visit to the crown. The tickets sell up fast and if you wish to take this ticket, make sure to pre-book it. The ticket gives you the best views of the skyline of the New York City. But this also comes with certain restrictions. The purchaser can only book 4 tickets using his ID and he/she should be the one to physically take the tickets. You should also have an ID with you to get an entry. Since the structure does not have elevators, make sure you are capable to climb the 160 steps to the top, and take kids with you only if they could physically climb themselves, because crawling toddlers are not allowed entry here. Make sure to enjoy the best moments here as you could only visit this monument once in every 6 months (government regulations).

The climb to the top of the crown is a bit challenging but thrilling. The views that you might come across after climbing the double-helix in the form of spiral stairs is overwhelming. Unlike the pedestal, you have to climb the stairs till the top as there are no elevators available. The climb could feel like climbing a 22 level building. If you are scared of heights or have respiratory and heart problems, it is highly recommended to avoid the track. The building might make you feel a bit claustrophobic as well.

Please note that the tickets mentioned above are all non-transferable; meaning the person whose name has been mentioned in the tickets is the one getting an access. You have to cancel the ticket in order to change the name/names.

The pedestal which might not sound very touristy has some of the better attractions here. The pedestal is a building in itself. The disguised part of the Statue of Liberty has a Museum which has a lot of historic details as well as the original torch which got corroded and had to be replaced. The place has many floors, including a lobby, and an exhibit on the second floor. The observatory on the tenth floor too gives you the reason to have a look inside the pedestal. If you wish to not miss this part of the Statue of Liberty, please make sure to get the correct reserve tickets including the pedestal visit. The tickets could be purchased online and printed at home or have it collected one day in advance from the Will Call Ticket Booth. There are storage locker facilities available as well, and comes at a cash only price of $2. It can come in handy because there are many things that are not allowed inside the premises. These include food, beverages, strollers, umbrellas, etc. If you have a camera, make sure you leave the tripod behind if you don’t wish to pay for the storage facility as such equipment cannot be carried inside. So, if you are ready you can proceed towards the pedestal from the white tent behind the statue and climb the 215 steps. Please remember to brace yourself and be ready with a nice pair of joggers because the day would require a lot of leg strength.

The first ferry departs at around 8:30 AM from the Battery Park and Liberty park. Reading the timings on the website before the visit will help you avoid last minute hassle which is a common problem you might face. The last ferry is available till 5:45 during the peak season while you can get a ferry till 5:00 during off season. The ferry rides could be taken from two points called as Battery Park and Liberty State park available from New York and New Jersey respectively. If you get up in any of the two points, you will be first taken to the Liberty Island and then to the Ellis Island and back to the bay area.

Reaching the spot an hour or two is recommended since the security procedures could be time consuming. There are two tiers of security checks, including a check before the ride and the other one just before entering the pedestal. The security procedure is elaborate, so if you want to avoid queues here, do come on weekdays. The entire tour will not be temperature controlled, hence dress according to the weather. The foot wear you wear should also be scrutinized accordingly since the day could easily involve a lot of walking. Blocking a minimum of 6 hours for the entire trip would a good idea. If you get tired walking across the island, you could always hop on to a guided tour provided by the rangers in the island. This rides come at no extra cost and usually departs at an interval of around 35-40 mins from the Flagpole. Make sure to refer to the information center to know the timings regarding the rides. The audio guides too are always available for the solo explorers. Please do remember that any minor below the age of 17 has to be accompanied by an adult aged 25 and above.

The ferry timings are listed under:

1.The first ferry from the City leaves at 8:30 AM.

2.The last ferry leaves from the City at around 3:30 PM.

3.From the Liberty Island, you could get a ferry back till 5:00 PM during low tourist season.

4.From the Liberty Island, you could get a ferry back till 5:45 PM during peak tourist season.

5.The last ferry from the Ellie Island is around 5:15.

Since the two islands are close to each, many prefer to visit both the places at the same time. The Liberty Island has the Statue of Liberty including the pedestal building, while Ellis Island has an immigration museum. It is said to have been built to commemorate the immigrants who came to settle in the country. The museum beautifully depicts the culture of the immigrants with many historic possessions. You have the guided tours as mentioned earlier to take you around the place. There is also a Hospital Complex in Ellis Island. You could visit that as well. In case you want to just visit the Statue of Liberty, you could always avoid getting down at the island.

The ferry departs from two points, i.e., from New Jersey and New York. The points are known as Battery Park and Liberty State park respectively. You can easily there to Battery by subways. You can head to Statue Cruises LLC. The nearest subway is Bowling Green Subway which is a 5 minute walk. You could also head to the place from Whitehall Subway, which is only 10 minutes away. Wall Street Subways and Broadstreet are also nearby.

If you wish to get a good view of the Statue of Liberty from a distance, there are several other options available. These options mostly include ferry rides which could take you across the Statue of Liberty and you could get a good view of the same. There is a Staten Island Ferry which promises a great view and is free. The only disadvantage or the biggest disadvantage of this ride is that it does not give you entry to the Statue of Liberty for free. Neither does it stop in any of the two islands. If you are looking for some other options and are willing to pay then there is another option for you. The Harbor Cruise tour will give you a ride in the night time and will also stop at the Statue of Liberty for a photo clicking break. The best reason to take this ride is to have the best night views of the Manhattan Skyline.

For tourists, the Statue of Liberty remains open every day of the year except on Christmas Eve for which the visiting timing is only in the first half of the day. The timings vary according to the season and you can have a look below to plan accordingly. The best time recommended to visit the Statue of Liberty is during the spring or summer months when the weather is pleasant. You could have a more comfortable experience if you could make it on weekdays. The summer vacation months also could be avoided due to the rush. It is most likely to always get a crowd there given the 4 million people that visit the place every year.

1.1^st Jan to 26^th May| |timings- 8:00 to 15:30

2.27^th May to 4^th September| |timings- 8:00 to 17:00

3.5^th September to 9^th October| |timings- 8:00 to 16:00

4.10^th October to 31^st December| |timings- 8:00 to 3:30

5.Christmas Eve, 24^th December| |timings- 8:00 to 13:30

If you have gone through the entire article, I must assure you that you are ready to visit the Statue of Liberty. You could be the one guiding your friends when you come across the various details of the monument. Before you head to visit the monument, a quick reminder for you is to carry your valuables carefully as the security screening is designed to be airport like. Make sure you don’t give them a chance. Also keep with you the printout of the ticket and the ID proves of the persons visiting the Statue of Liberty.