The Statue of Liberty, Lady Liberty, Liberty Enlightening the World, Mother of Exiles - she has many names and is one of America's most recognizable and respected symbols throughout the world. Located within NJ waters off Liberty State Park on the 12 acre Liberty Island (formerly Bedloe's Island), the Statue of Liberty stands 305'1" from ground to the tip of the torch looking out over NY Harbor.

Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty has been a beacon of freedom for over a century and has welcomed millions of immgrants to America.

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

What is the best way to see the Statue?
If you want to go up into the pedestal then make sure you call to make reservations. It used to be that anyone could go up into the pedestal, while to get into the crown you would have had to be on the first ferry and then you would be given a crown ticket. With the new security this is all changed now and in my opinion for the worst.

You must now call ahead and make a reservation and they will give you a time that you must be at the island to go up to the Statue. Why is this worse? Well now if you have a 12:30pm ticket and you wish to fully see Ellis Island, you must waste a lot of time getting on and off the ferries. It makes it impossible to now see both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island unless you happen to get very early or late tickets.

What is security like?
Security is tight obviously. At the ferry terminal you must first empty out all of your pockets and have everything go through x-ray machines and you must walk through a metal detector.

After getting to Liberty Island, you must put any bags you have in lockers before being allowed into the Statue. (this is located in large tents at the rear of the Statue, which is the entrance area). You will then go through another level of security with a puffer machine. This checks for bomb residue.

After all this security you are then allowed to move into the base area to wait while a National Park Ranger guides you up through the museum areas. If you have a Observation ticket - then you can go to the top of the pedestal. If you only have Promenade ticket, then you can only stay on the lower level.

How do I get to Liberty Island?
Getting to the Statue of Liberty is easy from New Jersey. Just take the New Jersey Turnpike to exit 14B. After exiting the toll plaza, make an immediate left. To get a nice view of thee park, follow this straight through passing the row of flags on the left hand side. Make a left onto Freedom Way. Follow this all the way down, enjoying the magnificient views of the Statue of Liberty on your right and the Jersey City skyline ahead. Make a right onto Audrey Zapp Dr.

Parking is to the right behind the Central Railroad of NJ Terminal. Walk down the sidewalk along the CRRNJ boarding area. The ticket booth for the Liberty/Ellis Island ferries is in the rear of the CRRNJ building. There are signs and park rangers who can help you find your way.

Where does the Ferry go first?
The Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry goes first to Ellis Island from New Jersey. You do NOT have to get off at Ellis Island though. You can continue to go onto Liberty Island. If you wish to go back to Ellis Island later in the day - take the NY ferry from Liberty Island to Ellis Island (note that the NY ferry has enormous lines). Make sure you plan your trip according to what time your Statue of Liberty ticket says. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask a park ranger in Liberty State Park when you purchase your ticket.

What's the best way to get to the Statue of Liberty from NY?
The best way would be to take the Yellow Water Taxi from the World Financial Center by Ground Zero. This will give you an awesome view of the Hudson River and the west side of Manhattan (about a 15 minute ride). It will drop you off at Liberty Landing Marina. Just walk past the Liberty House Restaurant and then continue on to the Central Railroad of New Jersey building across the street to purchase your tickets.





Can we go up to the crown?
Well as of July 4, 2009 you can now go up to the crown. At this time is is limited to 10 people at a time and led by a park ranger. Prior to 9/11 as long as you were on the first boats leaving New Jersey and New York, you were issued a crown ticket.