One of the most rewarding outings from New Jersey is visiting the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island and the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island.
You can’t take your own transport to the Islands.
The only way to get to Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island is the ferries operated by Statue Cruises.
The ferry tickets include access to both the Islands and the attractions on them.
In this article, we share everything you must know before booking your Statue of Liberty ferry from New Jersey.
1. New Jersey’s departure terminal
2. How to reach Liberty State Park
3. Parking at Liberty State Park
4. Schedule of ferries from New Jersey
5. How to board the ferry
6. Statue of Liberty ferry tickets
7. What to expect on the tour
8. Return to New Jersey
Terminal for Statue of Liberty ferry
Liberty State Park is the only location in New Jersey with ferry service to Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
Liberty State Park is massive and covers 1,212 acres (490 ha).
The main part of the Park, which has the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (CRRNJ Terminal), is bordered by water on three sides, and this is from where the ferries also set sail.
More than 15 Statue of Liberty ferries set sail from Liberty State Park in New Jersey all through the day, every day.
The ticketing and departure areas at Liberty State Park are by the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal near the water.
Every year, they are closed only on two days – Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas (25 December).
Statue of Liberty ferry address: Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, NJ. Get Directions
Besides the ferry dock, the Liberty State Park has many other attractions such as Liberty Science Centre, Empty Sky (a 9/11 Memorial which pays tribute to 749 people from New Jersey who died in the tragedy), water sports, biking, etc.
How to get to Liberty State Park, New Jersey
There are many ways to get to Liberty State Park.
Liberty State Park in New Jersey is the perfect departure location if you plan to visit the ferry dock by your car, motorhome, or private bus.
Liberty State Park is also amply serviced by public transportation, taxi, and Liberty Landing Ferry Service.
By Light Rail
The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey.
Get on to Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, which runs through the Jersey City and New Jersey area and get down at the Liberty State Park station.
This station is 1.6 KMs (1 Mile) from the ferry location, and since there is no public transport option, it is best to get an Uber.
For approximately 13 USD, an Uber can get you to the Statue Cruises ticket office in the CRRNJ Terminal.
Driving to Liberty State Park
You can reach Liberty State Park by your vehicle as well – From the New Jersey Turnpike take exit 14-B and follow the signs to the Park.
Liberty State Park Parking
You can park your car at the free Statue of Liberty Parking and take a brisk seven-minute walk to get to the CRRNJ Terminal.
However, if you want to avoid walking, you can use the paid parking slots near the Liberty State Park’s ferry dock.
You will have to shell out $7 per car.
By Liberty Landing Ferry Service
The Liberty Landing Ferry is a fast, affordable, and efficient alternative across the Hudson.
It is the perfect mode of transport if you come from the New York side because you get to see a two-mile promenade along the Hudson River with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.
You can board the ferry from the World Financial Terminal in New York and get to the Liberty Landing Marina at Liberty State Park, NJ.
Ferry service runs every 30 minutes, and the ride lasts around 20 minutes.
Liberty Landing Ferry’s ticket prices
| Traveler | One way | Round Trip |
| Adult | 7 USD | 14 USD |
| Child (7 to 12 yrs) | 5 USD | 10 USD |
| Seniors | 6 USD | 12 USD |
Visitors with ferry tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island get a 2 USD discount on Liberty Landing Ferry Service tickets.
Statue of Liberty ferry schedule from New Jersey
Every 20 to 25 minutes, a ferry leaves Liberty State Park to go to Ellis Island.
During the mid-March to mid-October high season, the first ferry from Liberty State Park sets sail at 8.30 am.
During the low season, the first ferry starts at 9 am.
And since the Statue of Liberty monument’s closing hours differs throughout the year, the last ferry’s timing from the Liberty State Park in New Jersey keeps changing.
| Tourist Season | First ferry | Last ferry |
| Mid-March to Late May | 8.30 am | 3.30 pm |
| Late May to Early September | 8.30 am | 5 pm |
| Early September to Mid October | 8.30 am | 4 pm |
| Mid October to Mid March | 9 am | 3.30 pm |
It is better to avoid the last Statue of Liberty ferry from New Jersey.
Tourists on the last ferry from Liberty State Park can’t see both Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum – they must choose one of the attractions.
Last ferry departing Liberty Island
Timings of the last Statue Cruises ferry departing the Statue of Liberty Island also depends on the season.
Liberty Island starts closing thirty minutes before the last ferry back to the Mainland, to allow the visitors to get to the dock.
| Tourist Season | Last ferry |
| Mid-March to Late May | 5 pm |
| Late May to Early September | 6.45 pm |
| Early September to Mid October | 5.45 pm |
| Mid October to Mid March | 5 pm |
Boarding Statue of Liberty ferry from New Jersey
To board the ferry from New Jersey (or Battery Park in New York), you need a Statue of Liberty ferry ticket.
All ferry tickets include the following:
- The ferry ride to Liberty Island, Ellis Island and back to the Mainland
- Access to Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island
- Access to Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island
- Access to National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island
- Audio Guide*
Since the Statue of Liberty is the biggest attraction, visitors also refer to these ferry tickets as the Statue of Liberty ticket.
*You can pick up the Audio Guide, which is available in 12 languages, from the Audio Guide booth at both Liberty and Ellis Islands.
You can buy the ferry tickets from the Statue Cruises ticket office inside the historic train terminal in Liberty State Park.
But we don’t recommend that for two reasons –
- The ticket counters usually have long lines
- Some types of tickets sell off much before, and that’s why buying them online (in advance!) makes more sense
All visitors with tickets will undergo an airport type security screening and a wait in a line to board the ferry.
Depending on the season and time of the day the wait in the line can be anywhere from five minutes to 20 minutes.
Statue of Liberty ferry tickets
There are three types of Statue of Liberty ferry tickets you can purchase.
While all the three tickets provide the same kind of access to the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island, the way you experience Statue of Liberty is different.
1. Reserve tickets
These are the most popular and widely available tickets and are also known as ‘Grounds only’ tickets.
With these tickets, you can explore the Statue of Liberty from the grounds around it and visit the Liberty Museum.
However, you can’t go up to the Pedestal or the Crown.
Ticket price
Adult ticket (13 to 61 years): 25.25 USD
Seniors ticket (62+ years): 20 USD
Child ticket (4 to 12 years): 15 USD
2. Pedestal tickets
The pedestal is the platform on which the Statue of Liberty stands, and every day a limited number of tourists are allowed to go up to the monument’s pedestal.
Since there is a limit on these tickets, they sell out much in advance.
You can buy the Pedestal tickets with a guide or without.
Self-guided Experience
When you buy this ticket, a facilitator meets you at the Terminal and takes you on a 30-minute pre-ferry tour.
They then help you board the ferry, after which you explore Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Museum on your own, with the help of an audio guide.
Ticket price
Adult ticket (13 to 61 years): 48 USD
Seniors ticket (62+ years): 45 USD
Child ticket (4 to 12 years): 40 USD
Guided Experience
This 4-hour guided tour of Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is one of the highest-rated tours on this circuit.
Rated 4.8/5 consistently, you can take this tour early in the morning or in the afternoon.
Ticket price
Adult ticket (13+ years): 57 USD
Child ticket (4 to 12 years): 54 USD
3. Crown Access tickets
The Crown Access ferry ticket gets you to the top of the Statue of Liberty, and you get to spend around ten minutes inside its crown.
During the peak summer months, only around 500 Crown tickets get sold per day.
During the non-peak months, this number is even less.
These tickets are difficult to get, and during the summer months, they get booked six months in advance.
Because of this lack of availability, many visitors feel that Grounds only tickets are better than Crown tickets.
If your New York (or New Jersey) vacation is a few months away, you can still try to buy last minute Statue of Liberty Crown tickets.
What to expect on Statue of Liberty ferry
Once you are on the ferry, keep your ferry ticket with you until your return.
You will see outlets on the ferry boat, selling food and drinks and even merchandise. We recommend you ignore them and enjoy the stunning view.
Food, drink, and merchandise is available in outlets at both the Islands, and you will have plenty of time to shop.
All Statue of Liberty boats sailing from Liberty State Park in New Jersey first go to Ellis Island – the Island with the Immigration Museum.
Then they sail to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty monument is on display, and finally, they get back to Liberty State Park.
Wherever you start from – Liberty State Park (in New Jersey) or Battery Park (in New York), the ferry ride to Liberty Island usually takes 15 minutes or less.
The ferry ride from Liberty Island to Ellis Island also takes 15 minutes or less.
We recommend that you dress up in layers because this trip is mostly outdoors and can get hot and cold at short notice.
Check out this video to know what to expect on your trip from New Jersey to Statue of Liberty –
Note: During peak seasons (the summer months), you may have to wait for up to 60 minutes in the lines to board a ferry.
Return ferry to Liberty State Park, New Jersey
You can get on a return ferry and get back to Liberty State park whenever you want – after exploring one Island or seeing the attractions on both the Islands.
You need not get back to the departure point from where you started your trip.
For example, if you have some plans in New York, instead of returning to New Jersey, you can board the ferry to Battery Park.
Your Statue of Liberty ferry ticket is flexible about return ferry.
However, you must be careful and use the correct boarding location on each Island.
If instead of boarding the ferry bound for New Jersey, you get into the boat for New York, there is no need to panic.
Once you get down at Battery Park, New York you can walk a bit and board the Liberty Landing Ferry Service to get back to New Jersey.
Liberty Landing Ferry Service is a convenient water taxi service between Manhattan and Liberty State Park.
More about Statue of Liberty
# Tickets for Statue of Liberty ferry
# Interesting facts about Statue of Liberty
# Statue of Liberty free tour on Staten Island ferry
# How to buy last minute Liberty Crown tickets
# Why you must buy Reserve tickets and NOT Crown tickets
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