Statue of Liberty Crown Visit
Entering the Crown of the Statue of Liberty is a must-see experience in New York City, but it's not easy to do. Here's how you can do it!
The Crown of the Statue | ©Unsplash
Climbing the Crown of the Statue of Liberty is the dream of many travelers, but to fulfill it you need to get one of the few tickets that are on sale on the Statue Cruises website well in advance.
If you are one of them, in addition to learning how to visit the Statue of Liberty, I recommend you to take note of the following post where I tell you in detail how is the visit to the Crown, how to buy tickets, how much they cost and what you will see there, among other things. Do not miss it!
How to visit the Statue of Liberty Crown?
The only way to go up to the Crown of the Statue of Liberty is to get tickets online at the Statue Cruises website and do it several months in advance of your visit because very few tickets go on sale and demand is very high.
To visit this part of the attraction, tickets can not be purchased at the time so if you do not want to miss this special experience, my advice is that when you are organizing your trip you do a constant monitoring of this website in case there are updates and some tickets are released to climb the Crown. Being aware is very important!
How does the purchase of tickets for the Corona work?
As I said, you have to buy them on the Statue Cruises website and select the "Crown Reserve" option.
When you make the reservation you will receive an e-mail with a confirmation number that on the day of the visit you must show at the Clinton Castle ticket office in Battery Park along with a valid identification document and the card with which you made the purchase in order to redeem your tickets and get the bracelet with which you can enter the Crown of the Statue of Liberty.
How much do tickets to the Statue of Liberty Crown cost?
From around 24 Euros you can get the adult ticket on the Statue Cruises website. You will need to select the Crown Reserve option, which includes access to the Crown and Pedestal, the Statue of Liberty Museum and Enclosure, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and the ferry to Liberty Island.
If you have the opportunity, I encourage you to try to get the "Crown Reserve" option because paying only a little more than the "Pedestal Reserve" or "General Admission" options, you will be able to see the iconic Statue of Liberty from its base to its crown.
An experience that very few have the opportunity to live in New York and that is worth it!
Prices by type of ticket
- Adult: from $24
- Seniors (over 62 years old): from $19
- Children (4 -12 years old): from $13
- Children under 4 years old: Not for sale.
With a New York Tourist Card, can I enter the Statue of Liberty Crown?
It would be a great thing to do but it' s not possible, unfortunately. For now, the only way to get the tickets that give you access to the Statue of Liberty Crown is to buy them online at the Statue Cruises website.
Most New York tourist cards only include the basic Statue of Liberty admission, which means that the tourist pass only gives you access to the Statue of Liberty ferry, the islands and the museums there but not to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal or the Statue of Liberty Crown.
If you are interested in getting a tourist card to enjoy its benefits, you have these options:
- Go City: New York City Explorer Pass-from $81
- New York CityPASS®-starting at $148
- New York City Pass-from $152
- New York City Sightseeing Flex Pass-from $86
In case you want to explore the inside of this iconic monument you will have to book separately the full Statue Cruises ticket, as it is not possible to use the tourist card to visit the Statue of Liberty and pay extra at the ticket office to enter the Crown or the Pedestal.
How is the access to the Crown: the security checkpoint
The entrance to the Crown gives access to a small observation deck at the head of the statue from which there are unusual views of New York and the monument itself at 93 meters high.
Once you arrive with the ferry to Liberty Island you can tour the grounds at your leisure but if you have tickets to visit the Crown and the Pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, my recommendation is to go there directly as the last access is at 3:30 PM and to enter inside the monument you have to queue for a second security check (in addition to the first check at Battery Park to ride the ferry) that will allow you access inside the statue and this can take quite a while.
The security check is very thorough and they do not allow you to visit the Crown or the Pedestal with bags, backpacks or food. Only with your camera, your phone, a bottle of water or some medicine, so before going up you will have to get rid of your stuff at the lockers next to the base of the Statue of Liberty.
They cost 25 cents to use and only accept coins, but there are some change machines nearby for $5 and $1 bills, so remember to carry some cash in your wallet!
What is it like to climb the Crown and its spiral staircase?
After visiting the Pedestal and the Statue of Liberty Museum, the climb to the Crown is up a narrow spiral staircase of over 300 steps (the equivalent of 27 floors) that runs the length of the Statue of Liberty.
It is not possible to take an elevator to the top so you must be in good physical condition to do this tour and children must be at least 1'21 meters tall or they will not be able to climb the Crown. If you have asthma or heart problems or you are afraid of heights or enclosed spaces, evaluate if it is suitable for you. However, everything is designed to make the visit as comfortable as possible for visitors.
There are a lot of steps along the way but the ascent is not tedious but exciting because you will have the opportunity to see inside the structure designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (author of the Eiffel Tower) and in just 15 minutes, without almost realizing it, you will be inside the Crown, fulfilling the dream of many visitors who come to New York.
What you can take with you on the climb
For example, to access the Crown you are allowed to bring your camera, your phone, a bottle of water and your medicine, in case you need to take it. In addition, the ascent and descent of the Crown is carried out by separate staircases so that visitors entering or leaving do not bump into each other and every few steps there are spaces where you can stop for a moment to rest.
What you will find when you arrive at the Crown
When you arrive at the top you will most likely be in for a surprise as we tend to imagine the observation deck of the Crown as a much larger and more spacious room when, in reality, it is so small that only a few people can fit in at a time.
Make the most of your time at the Crown as you will only have a few minutes to look out the windows and take a few photos and selfies before you have to go back downstairs.
Is it worth it to go up to the Statue of Liberty's Crown? What do you see on the tour?
Absolutely! This is one of the most exclusive and unique experiences you can have in New York if you manage to get a ticket, which is quite difficult because very few tickets are on sale, so I highly recommend you try!
What will you see during your visit to the Crown?
1. The inside structure of the statue
On one side you will see the interior structure of the Statue of Liberty created by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (the engineer who also created the Eiffel Tower) which normally goes unnoticed especially when compared to the famous facade of the monument which was the work of sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.
On the other side you will see the interior of the Crown of the Statue of Liberty and you will be able to see the surrounding landscape through its windows. It is one of the parts to which very few people have access and just to be one of those lucky ones is worth the visit.
2. The views from Liberty Island
As for the views, due to the location of the Statue to the east is a bit complicated to have a good view of the landscape from the Crown if we compare it with the amazing 360º views from the Pedestal viewpoint. If you pay attention you can see a bit of Manhattan, the Hudson River, Liberty Island or details of the statue itself.
However, don't let this small inconvenience take away your desire to climb the Crown because when you are up there, I would almost say the views are almost the least of it. In my opinion the most important thing is having the opportunity to experience walking around the inside of the Statue of Liberty and getting inside the head of "Lady Liberty" to look through her eyes at New York City.
3. A unique perspective of the Statue
In addition, from the Crown of the Statue of Liberty you will have an unusual perspective of the monument (for once you will see it from top to bottom and not the other way around) so I advise you to take advantage of the time you have there to take some pictures of the landscape and the statue and to take several selfies inside the observation deck. I assure you that it is a once in a lifetime experience that you will not forget!
Tips for Visiting the Statue of Liberty Crown
- Try to book your tickets to the Corona well in advance as supply is scarce and demand is very high.
- Get up early to visit the Crown. You'll have more time to explore Liberty Island and nearby islands, and the shorter crowds will reduce wait times at all the lines.
- Wearcomfortable shoes for the tour. You will spend a lot of time on your feet waiting in line at security checkpoints, taking long walks and climbing many stairs to the Crown.
- Go early in the morning if you visit the Crown in summer. Be aware that the temperature inside the Statue is warmer than outside. Stay well hydrated.
- Go to the restroom after passing the monument's security checkpoint. These are the only toilets inside the Statue so I advise you to go before the visit so you do not have to leave the Crown early because of an untimely call of nature.
- The day of the visit remember to check the National Park Service website (which manages the U.S. national monuments) in case there are alerts about the park at the last minute.