Statue of Liberty ferry – tickets, prices, schedule, how & where to board

Visiting the Statue of Liberty is one of the most rewarding experiences of a New York holiday.

The only way to get to the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island is through the ferries operated by Statue City Cruises.

The ferry tickets include access to the massive Statue of Liberty, Liberty Museum, and National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island.

This article shares everything you must know before booking your Statue of Liberty ferry.

Where to take Statue of Liberty ferry

Statue City Cruises is the only official ferry operator for the Statue of Liberty.

Statue of Liberty ferries set sail from Battery Park in New York and Liberty State Park in New Jersey all through the day.

Liberty Island is approximately 3.2 kms (2 miles) by water from both Battery Park and Liberty State Park. 

Check out all the different types of Statue of Liberty ferry tickets.

Statue of Liberty ferry from New York 

Most tourists visiting the Statue of Liberty board their ferry from Battery Park, New York.

Mostly because the visitors are already holidaying in New York, and Battery Park is better connected by public transportation.

This is why booking your Statue of Liberty ferry tickets much in advance is better.

Statue of Liberty ferry address: Battery Park has no street address. However, if you plan on using Google Maps, you can enter ’17 State Street, New York.

Or click here for direction.

Getting to Battery Park

Since parking lots are limited in Lower Manhattan, we recommend public transport to Battery Park.

By Subway

It is best to take a subway to Battery Park.

Once you get off the subway, you can walk to the Statue Cruises ticket office in Castle Clinton.

Local 1 and R trains stop at South Ferry/Whitehall Street Station, a New York City Subway station complex in the Manhattan neighborhood.

A five minutes walk can get you from South Ferry Station to Castle Clinton. 

EXPRESS (Lexington Avenue Line) trains 4 and 5 stop at the Bowling Green Station, and a brisk two-minute walk can get you to the Statue Cruises ticketing counter. 

By Bus

Get on to M5, M15, or M20 and get down at the South Ferry stop.

You can’t miss the sign for the Statue of Liberty ferries.

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Statue of Liberty ferry from New Jersey

It is better to book the Statue of Liberty ferry from New Jersey in advance. On the ticket booking page, visitors must select their port of departure.

If you prefer to board the Statue of Liberty ferry from Jersey City, you must get to Liberty State Park. 

Liberty State Park has ample car and bus parking at the ferry area, however its public transportation connectivity isn’t as good. 

Parking at Liberty State Park is $7 per car. 

Statue of Liberty ferry address: Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, NJ. Get Directions

Getting to Liberty State Park

Because of the lack of good public transport options, fewer tourists board the Statue Cruises ferry from Liberty State Park.

By Light Rail

Get 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 km (1 mile) from the ferry location, and since there is no public transport option, it is best to get an Uber.

For approximately $13, an Uber can get you to the Statue Cruises ticket office in the CRRNJ Terminal.

However, if you drive to the Terminal, you can park at the free Statue of Liberty Parking and take a brisk seven-minute walk to the CRRNJ Terminal.

Visitors must pay $7 per car to use the parking slots near Liberty State Park’s ferry dock.

Follow the link for a more detailed article on taking the Statue of Liberty ferry from New Jersey.

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Statue of Liberty ferry routes

Depending on where you board the Statue of Liberty ferry, the order in which you visit the tourist attractions varies.

This section explains the route the Statue of Liberty boats take and the stops they make.

Ferry route from Battery Park

All Statue of Liberty Cruises, which sail from Battery Park in New York, first go to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty stands in all its glory.

Then they sail to Ellis Island and finally back to Battery Park.

In short, when you board the Statue Cruises ferry from Battery Park, you see the Statue of Liberty first and then the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

When you start early on a summer day, this order is better because the Statue of Liberty is an outdoor attraction, and you get to explore it before it gets too hot.

And by the time the sun is at its peak, you are inside the Ellis Island Museum.

Check out the video to see how your trip to the Statue of Liberty pans out when you start from Battery Park, New York.

If you plan to board the Statue of Liberty boat from New York please select Battery Park, New York as the starting point on the ticket booking page.

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Ferry route from Liberty State Park

All Statue of Liberty boats sailing from Liberty State Park in New Jersey first go to Ellis Island, which has the Immigration Museum.

Then they sail to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty monument is displayed, and back to Liberty State Park.

If you start early during the summer, this order may be less comfortable because you will explore the Statue of Liberty monument when the temperatures are high.

Let’s say if you start at 10 am, you are likely to be done with the Immigration Museum by 12 or so, and you may be at the Statue of Liberty when the sun is at its peak.

You can’t change the order but can change it when you start your tour.

During the peak summer months, if you board the ferry around 1 pm, you will be done with the Ellis Island Museum by 3 pm and be at the Statue of Liberty by 3.30 pm.

And since the Liberty Island grounds close at 6.20 pm during these months, you will have around three hours to explore the Statue of Liberty.

Check out the video to see how your trip to the Statue of Liberty pans out when you start from Liberty State Park, New York.

If you plan to board the Statue of Liberty boat from New Jersey please select Liberty State Park, NJ as the starting point on the ticket booking page.

The Big Apple Pass includes tickets to a 60-minute Statue of Liberty cruise, the Empire State Building, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You also get a 23% discount code, which you can use (five times!) to get discounts on future purchases.

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How long does the Liberty ferry ride last?

Wherever you start from – Battery Park or Liberty State Park, the ferry ride to Liberty Island usually takes 15 minutes or less.

However, during peak times, you may have to wait for your turn and even let go of a ferry because it was full.

But it is relatively easy because a Statue Cruises ferry boat sails out every 20-25 minutes.

The ferry ride from Liberty Island to Ellis Island takes 15 minutes or less.

Note: During peak seasons (the summer months), you may have to wait up to 60 minutes in line to board a ferry.

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Return Ferry: Battery Park or Liberty State Park?

You can get on a return ferry whenever you want – after exploring one Island or both Islands.

You need not necessarily get back to the same place from where you boarded the Statue of Liberty ferry.

You can depart from Battery Park and return to Liberty State Park or from Liberty State Park and return to Battery Park – it is your choice. 

You must be careful and use the correct boarding location on each Island. 

For instance, if you wanted to return to Battery Park and by mistake reach Liberty State Park (by boarding the wrong ferry), you can’t board the boat again to return to your original departure location. 

Tourists who get on the wrong return ferry use the Liberty Landing Ferry Service between Liberty State Park and Manhattan to get back.

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Statue of Liberty ferry schedule

Every 20 to 25 minutes, a ferry leaves Battery Park to go to Liberty Island and leaves Liberty State Park to go to Ellis Island.

Both Battery Park and Liberty State Park follow the same ferry schedule.

Ferry timings from the Mainland

During the mid-March to mid-October high season, the first ferry from Battery Park and Liberty State Park set 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 timing of the last ferry from the Mainland 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

You must avoid being on the last Statue of Liberty ferry from the Mainland.

The last ferry departing from Battery Park won’t stop at Ellis Island. You can only see the Statue of Liberty but not the Immigration Museum.

Tourists on the last ferry from Liberty State Park can choose the attraction they want to visit: the Statue of Liberty or the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. They can’t see both.

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

Last ferry departing Ellis Island

The schedule of the last Statue Cruises ferry departing the Ellis Island also depends on the season.

Tourist Season	Last ferry
Mid-March to Late May	5.15 pm
Late May to Early September	7 pm
Early September to Mid October	6 pm
Mid October to Mid March	5.15 pm

Need more details? Check out the detailed schedule.

When is Statue of Liberty ferry service closed

The Statue of Liberty in New York is open throughout the year except on Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas (25 December).

The ferry service remains closed from Battery Park and Liberty State Park on these two days.

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How to go on a Statue of Liberty ferry?

To board the ferry, you need a Statue of Liberty ferry ticket.

All ferry tickets include the following:

1. A Ferry ride to Liberty Island, Ellis Island, and back to the Mainland
2. Access to the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island
3. Access to the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island
4. Access to the National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island
5. 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 tour at the Audio Guide booth on Liberty and Ellis Islands. The audio tour is available in 12 languages.

Tip: Backpackers and tourists on a tight budget prefer to view the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island ferry. However, you won’t be able to land on Liberty Island and explore the massive monument.

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How much is Statue of Liberty Ferry

The ‘Grounds only’ ticket is the most basic and popular Statue of Liberty ferry ticket and costs $31 for all adults (13+ years).

Kids 4 to 12 years get a discount of $13 on the adult price, and hence pay only $18 per head and seniors (62+ years) get a discount of $7 and pay only $24.

If you plan to go up the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, your ticket will cost $27 for an adult, $22 for a senior, and $17 for a child.

Kids below four years of age accompany for free. See all Statue of Liberty tickets.

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Statue of Liberty ferry tickets

There are three types of Statue of Liberty ferry tickets you can purchase. 

While all three tickets provide the same access to the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island, how you experience the Statue of Liberty differs. 

Reserve ferry tickets

These are the most popular and widely available tickets, also known as ‘Grounds only’ tickets.

These tickets also have the least amount of security checks. 

The ‘Grounds only’ ferry ticket gives you access to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty Museum.

But you can’t go up to the Pedestal or the Crown of the Statue of Liberty.

Ticket price

Adult ticket (13 to 61 years): $31
Seniors ticket (62+ years): $24
Child ticket (4 to 12 years): $18

Here are two other exciting tours – a visit to the Statue of Liberty with a pre-ferry guided tour of Battery Park and a complete guided tour of the Statue of Liberty.

Pedestal ferry tickets

Because of the pandemic, Statue of Liberty’s Pedestal tickets aren’t being sold.

A limited number of Pedestal tickets get sold per day, and these get booked very much in advance.

This ticket gives you access to the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, including the Statue of Liberty Museum.

There are two types of Pedestal tickets you can book:

Self-guided Experience

If you buy this ticket, you get a guide to help you navigate the security screening and ferry boarding.

They also give you a 30-minute pre-ferry tour.

But after that, you explore the 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
Seniors ticket (62+ years): $45
Child ticket (4 to 12 years): $40

Guided Experience

This 4-hour guided tour of the 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. 

If you opt for the afternoon slot, security screening and ferries may have longer waiting periods.

You have the option of a 2-hour Express tour as well. 

Ticket price

Adult ticket (13+ years): $57
Child ticket (4 to 12 years): $54

Ferry tickets with ‘Crown access’

Because of the pandemic, Statue of Liberty’s Crown tickets aren’t being sold.

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.

You also get to explore the Pedestal and the Museum. 

These tickets are ultra-premium – during the peak summer months, only around 500 Crown tickets are sold daily.

These tickets are difficult to get; during the summer, they get booked six months in advance.

After all, only 0.4% of the day’s tickets sold are Crown tickets.

Because of this lack of availability, many visitors feel that Reserve tickets are better than Crown tickets.

If you want to go up the Liberty Crown, we recommend reading up on how to score last-minute Statue of Liberty Crown tickets.

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Statue of Liberty ferry boat

Statue Cruises provide Liberty & Ellis Islands Ferry service, and they own all the boats.

There are ten boats in the Statue Cruises’ fleet.

Name of the Boat	Capacity
M/V Bay State	437 tourists
M/V Freedom	430 tourists
Lady Liberty	870 tourists
M/V Ellis Island	800 tourists
M/V Miss Freedom	564 tourists
M/V Miss Gateway	439 tourists
M/V Miss Liberty	800 tourists
M/V Miss New York	800 tourists
M/V Statue of Liberty	800 tourists
M/V Miss New Jersey	800 tourists

And depending on the schedule, you may board any one of these to get to the Statue of Liberty.

Food & Beverages on the ferry

All Statue of Liberty ferry boats has snack bars selling healthy snacks and beverages.

The ferry ride is short, so you may not have the time to buy and consume it right there, but you can always take the food and drinks along with you on tour. 

These stands also sell Statue of Liberty merchandise. 

They accept all modes of payment – Cash, Visa, Master Card, and American Express.

Note: Evelyn Hill Inc. is located on Liberty Island and Ellis Island, offering various food and drink options. 

Accessibility of the boats

Visitors who need assistance must contact the Ticket Office Manager as soon as they arrive at Battery Park or Liberty State Park.

Managers will ensure such visitors get ample assistance during the security screening and boarding of the Statue Cruises ferry.

All boats are wheelchair accessible. However, they don’t offer wheelchairs. 

Statue Cruises personnel can help visitors on wheelchairs get off at the Islands and return the boat after their tour.

There are no handicapped-accessible restrooms on the boats. 

However, Ellis Island and Liberty Island bathrooms are wheelchair accessible.

Sources

# Statueofliberty.org
# Nps.gov
# Cityexperiences.com
# Freetoursbyfoot.com

The travel specialists at TheBetterVacation.com use only high-quality sources while researching & writing their articles. We make every attempt to keep our content current, reliable and trustworthy.

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