~~~ Help - Statue of Liberty anyone? UPDATE-We're back!!!!

loveysbydesign

I can pinch a penny so hard you can hear it scream
Joined
Dec 30, 2005
We're going to see the Statue of Liberty for the 1st time this Sun. We're taking my in-laws along too. We already bought tickets online so that's taken care of.

We have tix. for 11:00 and are planning to pack lunch to eat while we are there. Just wondering for those who have been there before where the best place to eat our lunch would be!:goodvibes

Also any tips for us? Our kids are 12, 8 and 4!
 
When you say you already have tickets, I'm going to assume you mean the tickets for the ferry. Are you leaving from the NY dock or the NJ dock?

Are you taking the subway to catch the ferry or driving?

Assuming you are leaving from NY, you need to arrive about 30 minutes or so before sailing time. There is a line for a security check (similar to airport security, but no naked body scanners or restrictions on taking water :) )

For people who haven't bought advanced tickets there will be another long line to get into the courtyard of Castle Clinton to buy tickets. However, there are exhibits and a gift shop inside the fort that you can visit as well.

The area around where you catch the ferry is a park called Bowling Green and it will be filled with street performers, people selling knock off handbags and watches, and there are lots of green space to eat a picnic lunch. You could also take your lunch and eat on Liberty Island, but there is little shade and limited tables for the snack counter in the gift shop on the island.

Once you catch the ferry your first stop (if you leave from NY) is Liberty Island. There is a small Visitors Center, gift shop and snack bar. You can walk all the way around the statue for photos and different views. If you have already pre arranged for a special ticket you can get into the base or even go up to the crown, if not you are not allowed up.

The ferries run about every 20 minutes and you will leave Liberty Island and next stop at Ellis Island. The self guided tour of Ellis Island can easily stretch for 2-4 hours. You can walk in the foot steps of an immigrant though the great hall, medical checks, etc. See exhibits on what people carried with them to start their new life in America and even research your family to see if any of your ancestors passed though Ellis Island.

All in all plan on spending 2-6 hours.


If you arrive early or find you have extra time, a short walk from where you catch the ferry to Liberty Island is the building where you can catch the ferry to Governor's Island. This ferry is free and run by the National Park Service and Governor's Island is a neat and less crowded place to visit. You can also ride the Staten Island Ferry for free and get a nice view of the Statue of Liberty as you pass it.

A short walk or subway ride away and you can see Wall St (the Bull statue) and Ground Zero.
 
Thanks for the info!
We bought the tix. through Statue cruises and are actually leaving from the NJ side as it is closer to where we live and are driving from, plus I heard it's less busy. We are only seeing the statiue on this day. We are hoping to revisit NYC next spring and take the kids to see other things!
 
Okay; Since you are leaving from the NJ dock, please note your ferry will first go to Ellis Island and then Liberty Island.

I'm not sure what the NJ dock is like as I've only visited from the NY side. However, my other advice remains true. Plan on spending 2-4 hours on Ellis Island, less on Liberty Island (unless you have monument access)

If it's a nice day there is some green space with or without shade on Ellis Island to eat your picnic to the right of the main building.

Since you have a couple of kids with, one of the first things you should do is ask a park ranger for a Jr. Ranger program. It's kind of a visitor guild/scavenger hunt for kids. When they complete it they get a Jr. Ranger badge or park patch. This is a free program that is offered at every National Park site and can really help getting kids involved with your visit.

Another thing you can do is buy a "Park Passport" book. Each National Park site has one or more cancellation stamps, also free of charge that you can stamp your book with to record your visit and the date of your visit.
 
We are going in July. I remember reading the time is the time to get in line at security then once thru security you go on the next availible ferry. My kids are 7 and 11. We have pedastal tickets (couldn't do crown since dd7 is under 48inches). We decided to include the audio tour since they offer a kids version for both islands. Ellis Island is lots of fun but I recall lots of reading so thought that my interest my youngest.
 


UPDATE from the OP!:goodvibes

Alright, we went yesterday and had a blast! We left from Liberty State park in NJ and had an 11:00 time on the tickets we bought online from Statue Cruises. We arrived at 10:00 and were through security and was on the ferry by 10:20. It costs $7 to park there.;)
We brought our own picnic lunch and ate it at the tables near the ice cream stand at Ellis Island. Then we toured Ellis Island and got the kids ice cream before taking the ferry over to the Statue. My older kids were pretty interested in Ellis Island but it was very hard to keep my 4y.o. occupied. We did not tour the entire place as we really wanted to get over to the Statue. My kids really enjoyed the Treasures display on the 3rd floor. :yay:
Then we took the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty and we rented a $2 locker to put the small cooler bag in that had the rest of our drinks in it as there is no food and beverages allowed inside the statue! We were able to check the stroller for free inside the security tent that has the lockers in it. We only went into the pedestal and up to the observation deck as we did not have crown tix.(My little guy was too short to go and my MIL could not make the climb anyway!):rotfl:

We were back at our car around 4:00. So we spent almost 6 hours altogether. We had a fabulous time!!:thumbsup2

Any questions please ask away!!!
 

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