Statue of Liberty Pedestal Visit

It is one of the most popular visits to make in the city but there are few tickets on sale and they sell out very quickly. I'll tell you everything you need to know to organise your visit.

First of all, you should know that to visit the Statue of Liberty Pedestal you can go with a guided tour or on your own, by booking a tour or tickets to the Statue of Liberty, as long as it specifies access to the pedestal, or by buying tickets on site at the ticket booths (there are at Castle Clinton in Battery Park, at the New Jersey train station).

A guided tour of the Statue of Liberty is the most recommended option to get to know this icon of the United States as it will allow you to enjoy a complete experience with the convenience of not having to spend your time organising the tour.

Its advantages? It's very clear: getting there with a guided tour simplifies things a lot and everything is already planned in advance so you don't have to worry about transport and queues at the ticket office, just enjoy yourself!

You'll board the ferry at Battery Park and the boat will drop you off at Liberty Island, at the foot of the majestic Statue. An expert guide will accompany you during the tour, explaining in detail the history of the monument, its construction and all the anecdotes that will complete the visit.

However, if you are interested in climbing the pedestal or the crown, make sure that it is included. Currently in Hellotickets the tours do not include this part of the Statue of Liberty but other areas such as the Immigration Museum or Ellis Island.

If you prefer the independence of visiting the Statue of Liberty Pedestal on your own, you will need to get your tickets along with your ferry tickets to Liberty Island well in advance as admission to the Statue is limited to a few tickets per day. You can do this either at the ticket booths in Battery Park or Liberty Park or on the Statue Cruises website. You can also get there by taking a cruise on the Hudson.

The price of tickets does not vary depending on where you decide to buy them but it is much more convenient to buy them online as the ticket booths usually have long queues and tickets for the Pedestal (let alone the Crown) fly. If you try to get them on the day, your efforts are likely to be in vain unless you get there early in the morning.

You will find tickets from around 20 Euros depending on whether you visit with a guided tour or on your own. Below, we see it in detail.

From 50 € in Hellotickets you can find guided tours to the Statue of Liberty that include access to the Statue's Pedestal, the ferry to Liberty Island as well as tickets to Ellis Island and the Immigration Museum.

During the tour you will be accompanied by a local guide who will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the Statue of Liberty, which is always a plus to give context to the activity and learn about the history of the attractions you are seeing.

In my opinion, taking a guided tour of the Statue of Liberty is the best way to get to know her Pedestal and the site where she stands as you will achieve your goal without having to spend a lot of money and with the convenience of having transportation, tickets and the services of a guide included in the price.

Breakdown of prices by type of ticket

That would be great, but unfortunately it is not possible. Most tourist passes in New York include a basic ticket which only gives access to the ferry, the islands and the museums there, but not to the Pedestal or the Crown of the Statue of Liberty.

Which tourist passes include the Statue of Liberty?

If during your stay in New York you would like to use one of these tourist passes but you are not sure which one to choose, I recommend you to take a look at the post The best New York City Sightseeing Pass as it will surely help you to make up your mind and fulfil your dream of seeing the Statue of Liberty.

How to use the tourist card?

To visit the Statue of Liberty with one of the New York Sightseeing Passes, you don't need to book a time but you will need to go to the Castle Clinton ticket office in Battery Park to exchange it for a ticket to board the ferry. It's important to do this (there's a special queue there that goes very quickly) or you won't be allowed on the ferry.

The entrance to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal provides access to the interior and exterior balcony of the stone structure that sits at the foot of the statue and supports it in height. This in turn sits atop an ancient star-shaped open-air fort from which you can also look out over the landscape.

Be patient at the security checkpoint

You will find the entrance to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal behind the monument. The last entrance is at 3:30 PM and to enter you will have to go through a second security check in addition to the first one before boarding the ferry.

The checkpoint is quite strict and they don't allow backpacks or bags on the Pedestal or Crown so you'll have to leave your belongings in lockers at the base of the monument which cost 25¢. They only accept coins but don't worry because there are change machines for $1 and $5 notes.

What you will see during your visit to the Pedestal

When you enter the interior of the pedestal you can decide whether to visit the museum on top of the monument or go directly up to the observation deck to admire the view from an outdoor terrace at the base.

Use of the lift is only available for the disabled so be prepared for a lot of steps (almost 200!). But it's actually not too strenuous a climb because the stairs are not narrow and if you need to catch your breath you can always step aside to rest for a moment.

The views of Liberty Island, Manhattan or Staten Island are great from the Statue of Liberty balcony but it is a surprisingly narrow place because when there are many visitors it becomes a bit difficult to move on all four sides. The experience is still fantastic but you have to be prepared for the crowds.

After the visit to the Pedestal you can continue your tour of the island and then board the ferry to Ellis Island. You can get off there and see the Immigration Museum or stay on board and return to Battery Park.

If you like to see the city skyline from above, you'll definitely enjoy a visit to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal. Although it's only 27 metres high, which is small compared to other viewpoints in New York, it has excellent 360º views of the following sites:

Seeing the sights of New York from the Statue of Liberty Pedestal will give you another interesting perspective of the city and unique photographs of your trip where the Hudson River takes centre stage. This tour is the perfect complement to the Manhattan skyscraper observatories.

In the views, very different from both platforms

Compared to climbing the Pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, visiting the Crown is one of the most exclusive and difficult experiences to book in New York given the limited number of tickets available per day. However, if you have the opportunity, don't hesitate to do it.

Maybe the views are not as impressive as you expected because they are not 360º as on the Pedestal but this does not mean that it is not worth it because the really important thing to get here is to enter inside the head of the Statue of Liberty and see the landscape through her eyes.

Because of the Statue's east-facing orientation, it's a little difficult to get a good view of Manhattan from the small windows of the Crown compared to the view from the Pedestal's observation deck, but as I said, when you're here the views almost don't matter.

However, from the Crown you will have an unusual perspective of the Statue of Liberty. For once you'll see it from top to bottom and not the other way around as you would from the Pedestal. It's unique!

On the way up, one is easier than the other

Climbing the Pedestal and the Crown of the Statue of Liberty is a totally different experience. While the former can be reached without too much effort by the stairs or the lift (in the case of disabled people), the latter can only be reached by climbing a very narrow spiral staircase of more than 300 steps that connects the Statue's legs with her torso and head, so a good physical condition is required. Children, for example, must be at least 1.21 metres tall to enter the Crown and be able to climb by themselves.

If you are a little apprehensive about enclosed spaces or heights, you may feel a little uncomfortable on the stairs, but don't worry, as every few steps there are places to stop and rest for a moment.

Also, in this sense, the ascent and descent of the Crown is done by different staircases so there will be no problem of bumping into other visitors who are making the ascent while you are descending.

Compare Statue of Liberty Pedestal and Crown of Liberty ticket prices

How far in advance should tickets be purchased?

At least 5 months in advance, as the Pedestal or Crown of the Statue of Liberty is very popular with visitors but very few tickets are on sale.

How long does it take to visit the Statue of Liberty?

At least 4-5 hours to visit the Statue of Liberty in its entirety including the Pedestal or Crown, the island museums and the ferry ride. Add to this the security checks and queuing.

When is it least crowded to visit the Statue of Liberty?

You will find fewer tourists to visit the Statue of Liberty on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as the busiest times to visit the Statue of Liberty are Mondays, Fridays and weekends.

How far in advance should I go to board the ferry?

A minimum of half an hour. The time shown on your tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty is the time when you have to queue for the ferry at Battery Park to go through security, which can take some time as they are thorough checks like at airports.