To get to Liberty Island, visitors need to take a ferry from one of two locations, Battery Park in New York or Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Statue Cruises operates the ferries that go to Liberty Island as well as Ellis Island, which people can also visit with a ticket to the Statue of Liberty. From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was a station where immigrants were inspected before entering the United States.
There are a number of different ticket options available for visiting the Statue of Liberty, and they can be purchased through Statue Cruises. They include reserve with crown, reserve with pedestal/museum, reserve and flex tickets. The type of ticket determines what can be visited -- including the crown, observation pedestal deck and museum -- as well as what day. Along with these tickets, people can also choose to have an audio tour, but this costs extra.
At Battery Park and Liberty State Park, security guards check everyone's bags, and people may also be searched. Large bags are prohibited on the island, and the United States Park Police will confiscate any other objects that are not allowed, such as firearms, mace or pepper spray, coolers and sharp objects.
At the Statue of Liberty monument, certain items are not allowed, such as backpacks, strollers and large umbrellas. Food and beverages, including water, are also prohibited. Food and drinks, as well as cameras, are allowed on the island. There are no lockers at the parks where visitors embark, but there are lockers available at the monument.
Liberty Island is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the last ferries leave from Liberty Island at 5:10 p.m. for New Jersey and 5:20 p.m. for New York.
