The Statue of Liberty was dedicated to the US from France in 1886. Its copper skin is 1/8 inch thick and has turned green through the years due to oxidation. In order to understand how large the Statue is, Lady Liberty's eyes are 2 feet in diameter and the book she carries is 2 stories tall.

There are a variety of ways you can see the Statue of Liberty. You can request a window seat on your flight and look at it from above. You can go to Battery Park and catch a glimpse of it from far away. You can take the Staten Island Ferry or you can do the Statue of Liberty tour.

Battery Park is easy enough to get to. We walked from our hotel (Cosmopolitan in Tribeca), but there are several train and bus options, for example N or R to Whitehall Street. Here you can walk along the Hudson River and see the Statue way out in the distance.

The Staten Island Ferry brings you a lot closer to the Statue and is completely free. The one-way trip is about 25 minutes. You pass right in front of the statue and can take great pictures of both the statue and downtown Manhattan. It's comfortable, but it is not a luxury by any means. You can stand outside or sit inside. There are many locals, but there is also a fair amount of "tourists" as well.

You can get here by taking many trains, for example the 1, to the southernmost point.

Statue tours. It is free to visit the Statue and Ellis Island museums. But, you do have to pay to take the ferry to get to these locations. The ferry ride is $11.50 adult /$9.50 seniors / $4.50 children. It leaves Battery Park in NY and Liberty State Park in NK. When you arrive on liberty Island there's a gift shop and a snack shop. You can purchase an audio tour of the island. Unless you've pre-purchased an in-statue tour, at this point you really only have the option of walking around the statue. They no longer let people go in the statue. It's a nice walk (if the weather is good) and it is very relaxing. Onto Ellis Island Immigration museum. The museum is well laid out. The building is large and still has graffiti from when immigrants were coming into this country. The displays give you a good feel for how it must have been to be going through the rooms. The exhibits are interesting and chances are you will leave here wanting to find out more about your heritage.

One thing to remember is Security is tight on the Island. Before you board the ferry you will go through security measures more stringent than what you experienced at the airport: x-ray machines, metal detectors, removing belts and shoes. The process and lines are long. Be prepared. Give yourself ample time. The Islands open at 9:30am and close at 5pm.

Although no access was granted to enter, I could walk around the Statue and admire it. The grand symbol of liberty. Only the gift shop was open (as with any sight), but the place was still magnificent. It is surprising to see what people can do with a relatively small island. The sight was beautiful (although the statue is smaller than it appears). Hopefully, I will be able to visit it once more!

When we arrived at the dock to get on the boat to get to the Statue of Liberty, security was really tight. The line was long, but luckily we were at the front. The boat ride went smoothly. I say this because my kids usually get seasick, but that day they didn't. When we got there, it was a clear day, so the view was unbelievable. The view made up for the fact that we couldn't go in the statue. We ate lunch there and came back.

It's pretty cool, with a very nice view of the whole city. The line is pretty long, but it's worth it. I liked it and got a souvenir.

The statue of liberty. An absolute classic piece of New York and an absolute must see for tourists. Once you get to the island it is all about taking pictures, of the skyline, of others in your group, and of the fine lady of freedom herself. Once you’ve taken pictures to your hearts content, it is actually time to enter the statue

The first thing I would recommend is don’t overlook the museum; it contains a really well put together exhibit on the creation and history of the statue. After walking around the museum (I’d allow 30 minutes, but then again I am a museum geek), you then proceed up a few stairs to the base of the statue. Here you get to look inside the statue but don’t expect to go any further. In a post 9/11 world, going up to the crown has been deemed unsafe. That’s not to say that the view isn’t amazing. Spend some time up here taking photos too. And bear in mind that once you leave an area you will not be allowed to re-enter it. After you exit the statue there isn’t a whole lot else to do, other than take a trip to the gift shop and hop back on the ferry.

It’s a given that as a tourist/traveler you will visit this statue, just give in to temptation. It’s worth it.