Statue of Liberty Pedestal Visit

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

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

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

Its advantages? It is 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 transportation and queues at the ticket office, just enjoy!

You will 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 Hellotickets tours do not include this part of the Statue of Liberty but other areas such as the Immigration Museum or Ellis Island.

In case 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 because admission to the Statue is limited to a few tickets per day. You can do it either at the Battery Park or Liberty Park ticket offices or at 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 do it online because at the ticket offices there are usually long lines and to access the Pedestal (let alone the Crown) tickets fly. If you try to get them for the same day it is more than likely that your efforts will be in vain unless you go there first thing in the morning.

You'll find tickets starting at 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 to the Statue of Liberty is the best way to get to know its Pedestal and the site where it is located because 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 of the New York tourist passes include the 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 any 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 decide and fulfill 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 have to go to the Castle Clinton ticket office in Battery Park to exchange it for a ticket to board the ferry. It is important to do this step (there is a special queue there that works fast) or you will not be allowed to enter.

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

Arm yourself with patience at the security checkpoint

You will find the entrance to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal behind the monument. The last access 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 control is quite strict and they do not allow you to go up to the Pedestal or the Crown with backpacks or bags so you will have to leave your belongings in some lockers next to the base of the monument that cost 25 ¢. They only accept coins but don't worry because there are change machines for $1 and $5 bills.

What you will see during your visit to the Pedestal

Upon entering 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 views from an outdoor terrace located at the base.

The use of the elevator is only available for disabled people so be prepared for a lot of steps (almost 200!). But to tell the truth it is 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 balcony overlooking the Statue of Liberty but it is a place that is surprisingly narrow because when there are many visitors it becomes a little 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 the 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 contemplate the skyline of the cities from the heights, there is no doubt that you will enjoy a visit to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal, because although it is only 27 meters high, a small size compared to other viewpoints in New York, it has excellent 360º views of the following sites:

Seeing the sights of New York City 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 is the protagonist. This visit is the perfect complement to the observatories of the Manhattan skyscrapers.

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, do not hesitate to do it.

Maybe the views are not as impressive as you expected because they are not 360º as in 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 east facing orientation of the Statue it is a bit difficult to get a good view of Manhattan from the small windows of the Crown if we equate it with the ones you will have from the Pedestal's observation deck but as I said, when you are here the views are almost the least of it.

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 easier than the other

The climb to the Pedestal and the Crown of the Statue of Liberty is a totally different experience. While the former can be accessed without too much effort by stairs or by elevator (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 legs of the Statue with the torso and its head, so it is required to have a good physical condition. Children, for example, to enter the Crown must be at least 1'21 meters tall and able to climb by themselves.

If you have some apprehension about enclosed spaces or heights, you may feel a little uncomfortable on the stairs, but do not worry because every few steps there are spaces to stop for a moment to rest.

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

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 go on sale.

How long is the Statue of Liberty tour?

At least 4 to 5 hours to visit the Statue of Liberty in its entirety including the Pedestal or Crown, the island museums and the ferry ride. To this you must add the security checks and access queues.

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

To visit the Statue of Liberty you will find fewer tourists on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since the most people do this tour on 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 because they are thorough checks like at airports.