I will be taking a one bus trip to NY and being dropped off at Battery Park to go to the Statue. Do I need to get tickets ahead of time or can I buy a ferry ticket at the time I arrive. I will be doing this on a Sat. Also, is there a charge for going inside of the statue, and can I get the tickets that Sat. Thanks

We were able to get ferry tickets when we arrived. To atually go into the statue we needed advance tickets.

You could just ride the staten island ferry for free! You don't dock on liberty island but you have a great view of the statue and of ellis island-and NYC as you head in.Since you cannot go into the statue anymore you may want to skip the boat to liberty island??

from the statue's website-

Time Pass Reservation System at Statue of Liberty

A "Monument Access" reservation system has been implemented by the National Park Service for visitors who plan on entering the monument. THE "Monument Access" Reserved Ticket ENABLES YOU TO VISIT THE MUSEUM GALLERY AND PEDESTAL OBSERVATION LEVELS ONLY. There is no access beyond the top of the statue's pedestal.

If you want to visit the Statue - for which you need to allow several hours you MUST have tickets in advance - or likely you will be shur out. Be aware that there can be long lines (security) to get onto the ferry and als to get into the statue.

Depending on what else you want to do you may prefer to just view it from a distance from the Staten Island Ferry - whcih runs every 15 or 20 minutes and holds thousands of people - no waiting.

If your goal is to get a good view of the exterior of the statue and snap some pictures, then consider the staten island ferry. The ferry passes the statue on it's way across the harbor to staten island. It's free, it runs fairly often, and there are no tickets or reservations. You can find the terminal easily from Battery Park.

I've never been to the museum gallery so I don't have an opinion about whether or not it is worth exploring.