Be a part of our new initiative at ELLIS ISLAND! | CELEBRATE your family story – add a name to the WALL OF HONOR!

Get Ferry Tickets Donate
Wall of Honor
Search
user (0) (0)
  1. The Foundation
  2. THE TORCH

Ticketing and Getting to the Islands

image

Ticketing

There are two ferry departure points for the islands: from NY in Battery Park and from NJ in Liberty State Park.

There’s only one legitimate ferry operator, Statue City Cruises, for tickets to visit – don’t fall for ticket scams. Your ferry ticket gives you access to both Liberty and Ellis Islands, including the Statue of Liberty Museum, the museum on Ellis Island, and both free audio/self-guided tours. More info can be found here.

There are three “levels” of tickets: general admission, general admission with access to the Statue’s pedestal, and general admission with access to the Statue’s pedestal and the crown. Crown-access tickets go on sale 6 months in advance and sell out quickly.

When packing for visiting the islands, remember that you will go through airport-style security screening before boarding the ferry. For a full explanation of the process, click here, and a full list of prohibited items can be found here.

Getting to the Islands

To get to the ferry in Battery Park (NY), take the subway to avoid traffic. The closest subway stops are South Ferry (1 train) and Bowling Green (6 train).  

Battery Park not only has unauthorized ticket hawkers, but there are currently construction barriers up for The Battery Coastal Resilience Project. Enter Battery Park to reach the security tent on State Street at this point.

To get to the ferry in Liberty State Park (NJ), you can take public transit, but most visitors opt to use the parking lot for a nominal fee. More details on how to get to Battery Park and Liberty State Park can be found here. 

Make sure to allot time for security, as it can take twenty or more minutes depending on the line. The time on your purchased ticket is the time you show up at the security screening facility. For the schedule of the ferries that you can catch after you’ve gone through security, click here.  

It is also important to note that each leg of your journey from your departure point and between Liberty and Ellis is 10-15 minutes. 

When visiting the islands, allow 1-2 hours for Liberty Island, depending on whether you are seeing the crown/pedestal. For Ellis Island, there is enough info in the museum to fill a whole day, but most visitors spend 45-120 minutes on the island. 

For tips about what to do on the islands and ferries, read this blog post. Looking for ideas about what to do and eat before or after your visit, click here.