Statue of Liberty Reviews (New York, New York)

The other lady of the Lamp!

Gravesend, United Kingdom

December 6, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The Statue of Liberty.Think of America and one can immediately conjure up an image of one of the most popular associations of America that being the Statue of Liberty in New York. The statue of Liberty is synonymous with everything about the United ...Read more

From journal New York Weekend break part Deux

Naturalized Citizen's Experience

by 1germangirl

Tulsa, Oklahoma

May 22, 2011

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My mother became a US citizen in 1983. She visited the Statue of Liberty in 2005. She had always wanted to visit. Mom describes her experience, "It was awesome... emotional... mesmerizing... The symbolic meaning of it. I finally stood before her and ...Read more

Statue of Liberty Amazes

by insptrtaz

Ocala, Florida

April 28, 2011

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We loved visiting the statue of Liberty, from the boat ride over to the statue itself. Seeing it on a TV screen in no way does it justice - it is an amazing site to see as you stand below and look up. Make reservations online to go up into the ...Read more

Statue of Liberty

by Jenny_H

Cañada, Valencia, Spain

April 6, 2011

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Its so amazing! If you haven't been, this is obviously a big must-see. I went once when I was very young and I was really captivated. I was told to definitely go to battery Park to jump on the Ferry first thing in the morning. Also if you prepay for ...Read more

From journal Weekend getaway to New York

very cool for everyone

by john2010

New York, New York

February 14, 2011

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we was there last Dec, and we climbed up to the top we like it and the view was excellent !!

Statue of Liberty

by Paulk787

Chicago, Illinois

January 1, 2011

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A must see, a lasting experience, a great location for great pictures - the Statue of Liberty has it all. It has so much advantages: you go there by ferry and enjoy a great view of the skyline of New York, you can climb up the Statue of Liberty and ...Read more

My visit to the Statue of Liberty

by Gemma_C

Sunderland, United Kingdom

December 19, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo When I went to New York this year, we were in firm agreement that visiting the Statue of Liberty was going to be on our itinerary. It’s a famous land mark and something that symbolises the USA, not just New York. The statue was a gift to the US ...Read more When I went to New York this year, we were in firm agreement that visiting the Statue of Liberty was going to be on our itinerary. It’s a famous land mark and something that symbolises the USA, not just New York. The statue was a gift to the US from France, and it is an iconic symbol of not only freedom, but also the USA.
It was our first time in New York and something you have to do at least once, and we decided to go all out and book tickets to go up to the crown whilst we were there, as we were only planning on doing this the once. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the statue was closed, and the pedestal didn’t re-open until 2004, and the statue itself until 2009. There are limits on how many people can access the crown, and as a result it’s recommended you book crown tickets in advance online before your visit to avoid disappointment. Before going to New York I did read reviews about accessing the crown, and I strongly recommend anyone considering going up to the crown to do the same, but I will come to that part later on.

To get to the statue you have to get a ferry from either Liberty State Park in Jersey City, or Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. The Battery Park landing is probably the most popular, and I read online about the huge queues that form there for tickets. For this reason we booked our tickets online for 9am on a weekday morning, as recommended by many on TripAdvisor. I was glad we did this as we missed the queues and crowds, and also had the rest of the day ahead of us after our morning at the statue. We also bought tickets for the crown, and the total came to $15 each so not a bad price at all. If you only wish access to the pedestal then it is cheaper, and you can view the different prices on StatueCruises.com
We took along our print out in the morning to the ticket booth to collect our tickets, we also had to show ID however they accepted our UK Driving Licences, a good thing as we didn’t feel comfortable walking around with our passports all day. There were no queues, and it was quiet, although the weather that day was terrible and it was raining quite a bit. After collecting our tickets we had to go through airport style security before getting on the ferry. The ferry goes to the Statue of Liberty monument first, before going onto Ellis Island where you can explore the museum.

After getting off the ferry at the statue, we immediately made our way to a building to get our wristbands off a park ranger; again we had to show our ID and tickets. After getting these the ranger explained how to get to the area with the lockers. As we had access to the statue we had to pay $1 for a locker, which didn’t have a key, you had to scan your fingerprint to gain access! You are only permitted to take a camera and medication up to the crown and so all other belongings must go into a locker. I should point out the park rangers are extremely helpful and always direct you to the next area clearly, so you know exactly what to do. Once we were inside the pedestal of the crown, another ranger greeted us and explained to meet back at the bottom of the staircase in 10 minutes to begin our climb to the top. In the meantime we were free to view the museum and the original torch from the statue in the entranceway.

When it was time to begin our climb, we gathered on the staircase with around 8 other people who also had crown access. The ranger explained the climb to the top, and also explained that it’s not easy and if you feel at all unwell then you can stop at anytime and leave. I had researched this part and I knew the climb to the top would be hard, but some people in the group clearly hadn’t. In particular there was a rather large couple there, who didn’t actually make it to the top. The climb to the top of the statue is hard, and as you get nearer the top the winding staircase becomes steeper and tighter, there really isn’t much room to move around. When we eventually reached the top, gasping for air, we were greeted by 2 park rangers and a very small platform. The windows of the crown are quite small, but you do get a good view out of them. The ranger pointed out the torch, and showed where to look down on the statue to see the ‘book.’ Not long after this a group of 3 girls finally reached the top behind us, and as it was rather crowded we decided to make our way back down. This was just as hard as coming up, the stairs are very steep and also a tight squeeze, which meant by tall boyfriend had to duck whilst climbing down! It was difficult, but we made it back to safety at the bottom. I am glad I went to the crown, though I would never do it again!

After this we were free to wander around the statue’s pedestal outside, and then we made our way down to the area in front of the statue to take the obligatory photos. It wasn’t too crowded here, as it was still morning time, but as we were leaving it was starting to get busy. There is a cafe on the island but we decided to press onwards to Ellis Island, though we did look around the gift shop. I didn’t realise you could put the statue of liberty on so many things!

I do think the Statue of Liberty is well worth a visit, though I do recommend going very early in the day to miss the queues and crowds. If you are planning on going to the crown, then please make sure you are fit enough to do it, and that you aren’t claustrophobic! You can book your tickets online before you go from Statue Cruises, and I highly recommend doing this. Close

From journal My first visit to the 'big apple.'

America's New Colossus

by Liam Hetherington

Manchester, United Kingdom

November 12, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo It was the poet Emma Lazarus that created the legend. Her poem The New Colossus mythologised the new statue that had been erected in New York harbour, gave it a symbolism greater than the one originally intended. In her words this personification of ...Read more

From journal Welcome to New York

You must see this in New York

by alanmack37

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

October 8, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo Having been to New York 2 times i was disappointed when i first went on a flying visit where i booked one of the bus tours for $50 and i sat stuck in Manhattan peak hour traffic without moving and i spent the whole day seeing what i could have seen ...Read more Having been to New York 2 times i was disappointed when i first went on a flying visit where i booked one of the bus tours for $50 and i sat stuck in Manhattan peak hour traffic without moving and i spent the whole day seeing what i could have seen on foot. I only ever got to see the statue away in the distance. Next time i came back to New York i knew it was essential to see the statue and i was going to do it on a budget.
Dont trust what you see on old 70s movies about the New York underground. The Warriors arent going to burst on to a deserted train at night and rob or kill people. Since 9/11 these subway stations are heavily patrolled by police and i never encountered violent or threatening behaviour. The subway is an excellent way to travel the city without being in traffic jams and being able to cover several destinations in such a short time just isnt possible. The subway tickets cost $9 for a day pass which gives 24 hours of travel, if youre staying for 3 days to a week the tickets cost the same. Please buy a pass rather than a single ticket.
I started my journey armed with an underground map which i studied and ensured i was on the right line to take me to there. South Ferry is the main subway stop to get you to Battery Park but there are also others like Bowling Green. South Ferry is a direct route on the 1 line so its so handy from Times Square station.
I arrived at Battery Park on a sunny st patricks day and i wanted to escape the madness of the i am irish pretenders and also to finally get to see the statue. I booked a tour on a ferry for $11.50. The ferry is a pleasant trip and well worth the money. You get a guided audio speech and are free to go outside to the open deck to look. It is amazing to see Liberty Island and Ellis Island and then arrive and walk round to the statue. I got a photo taken in front of the statue by a tiny japanese lady crouching on her knees to get the full shot in. I was amazed at the tallness of the statue and its splendour. Note get there early as the $11.50 allows you to see Ellis Island which i had no time for.
What did disappoint me was that i had no idea to go inside the statue you had to book online for. It also has several weeks wait in advance to go to the crown and the security is so tight. On return from Liberty island you are waiting in long queues and getting on a crowded boat back.
If youre hungry theres a cafe and welcome centre on libery island doing snacks, however its quite expensive. Best to get something on the boat or wait to return to Battery Park and buy a cheap hot dog from the vendors.
I would recommend this tour to anyone. Close

From journal New York on a budget

Absolutely Wonderful!

by johnrainier

Malabon, National Capital Region, Philippines

August 24, 2010

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One of the best attractions to see in the world. Definitely a must-see when you come to NY. Get a ticket on the packages some webstes are offering. It's cheaper.

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Statue of Liberty

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The other lady of the Lamp!

Naturalized Citizen's Experience

Statue of Liberty Amazes

Statue of Liberty

very cool for everyone

Statue of Liberty

My visit to the Statue of Liberty

America's New Colossus

You must see this in New York

Absolutely Wonderful!

Statue of Liberty

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User Reviews

The other lady of the Lamp!

Naturalized Citizen's Experience

Statue of Liberty Amazes

Statue of Liberty

very cool for everyone

Statue of Liberty

My visit to the Statue of Liberty

America's New Colossus

You must see this in New York

Absolutely Wonderful!