Plan Your Visit

Statue of Liberty photo taken froma boat with the NYC skyline in the background

NPS Photo

 

Planning Ahead

  • The National Park Service strongly encourages you to purchase ferry tickets in advance of the day you plan to visit. Statue City Cruises is the ONLY AUTHORIZED ticket seller for Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island and the only ferries that bring visitors to the islands.

  • Visitors who wish to enter the pedestal and visit the crown must secure pedestal or crown access tickets well in advance.

  • This is very different from how past generations once accessed the Statue of Liberty. The National Park Service strongly recommends making advanced ticket purchases to avoid long lines and secure your access inside the Statue.


Where Do I Purchase Tickets?

  • Tickets should be purchased through Statue City Cruises, the ONLY ferry service that brings visitors to Liberty and Ellis Islands.

  • All ferry tickets include access to the Statue of Liberty Museum and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.

  • Pedestal and crown access require advance purchase as these tickets are limited based on safety and security standards.

  • To visit both islands in one day, the National Park Service recommends an early ferry departure.


What Are My Ticket Options?

  • General Admission: This ticket is our most widely available ticket. Visitors will have access to both islands, including entry to both the Statue of Liberty Museum and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. This is the only ticket available when crown and pedestal reservations are sold out. General Admission tickets do not include access inside the statue or pedestal.

  • Pedestal Ticket: Tickets are limited. Pedestal tickets allow visitors to access up to the top of the pedestal observation balcony. These are purchased online only through Statue City Cruises.

  • Crown Ticket: Tickets are limited. Crown tickets allow visitors to access the crown of the statue, which includes a walk up 162 steps from the feet of the statue to the crown.
    • There is no elevator access to the crown.
    • Tickets are purchased online only through Statue City Cruises.

The time listed on the ferry ticket is the time you need to join the queue for the security screening facility. It is not a reservation time for a ferry departure. Wait time can be an hour or more during peak times, including summer, weekends, and holidays.

 
A ferry boat with passengers arrives to Liberty Island on a bright summer day.
Statue City Cruises

Statue City Cruises is our official source for tickets to the island. Click this link for more information.

Photograph of the front of the Great hall in the main immigration building
National Museum of Immigration

Learn more about Ellis Island and its history. Click for more information.

Park Police Officers and their K-9's on Ellis Island with the Statue in the background.
Safety, Security & Screening

All visitors must pass through airport-style security before boarding ferries at Liberty State Park or The Battery.

Virtual Tour Interface including view from inside Statue of Liberty crown
Learn about & Take the Virtual Tour

Learn more and tour the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island virtually through 360-degree and historic images and unique locations.

Last updated: March 26, 2025

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Receiving Office
1 Ellis Island

Jersey City, NJ 07305

Phone:

212 363-3200

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