State of Liberty
 

Am visiting NYC in February (can't wait - third trip!). <BR><BR>As I haven't done Liberty yet, can anyone tell me if the Statue is now open? Keep reading conflicting stories. <BR><BR>If the statue is open, is it true that only the first ferry over receive tickets to go into the crown?<BR><BR>Many thanks.

The last I heard you could not enter the Statue proper. You can roam the island.<BR>Before getting on the ferry you have to go through a security screening. BAckpacks, for example, are not allowed to be taken.

XX is right -- you can go to Liberty Island, but can't go up in the Statue. For what it's worth, I'd take the ferry ride around the Statute of Liberty, but skip Liberty Island and spend your time at Ellis Island. You'll get a better view from the boat and Ellis Island is not to be missed.

At the moment, the Statue is not open. <BR><BR>If you are interested in going to the crown, you just wait on line. It is true that you should get their early because the line can get long, but it is not true that only the first ferry gets tickets.<BR><BR>Perhaps on this trip, you may want to save the money and take the Staten Island Ferry (it's free) which gives a good view of the Statue. While Ellis Island is very interesting, paying the fare is not fun if you can't go into the statue.<BR><BR>You can check the following website to see if they have reopened the statue when the time gets closer to your trip. Look under the tab "Crown Access"<BR><BR>http://www.statueoflibertyferry.com<BR><BR>

If you are interested in the immigration experience, take the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry from Battery Park in lower Manhattan to Ellis Island, and view Liberty Island and the statue from the boat. Round Trip ferry tickets cost $8.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 17 years and under and $6.00 for senior citizens. Get off at Ellis Island and visit the Immigration Museum (admission is included in Ferry ticket), it is absolutely wonderful. The museum contains three floors of self guided exhibits and audio/visual displays detailing the history of immigration processing station between 1892 and 1954. Be sure to view the artifacts on display: baggage, immigrant clothing and costumes, passports, steamer and railroad tickets, ship passenger manifests, etc. Tour on your own or rent an Audio Tour narrated by Tom Brokaw. Go early and plan on spending at LEAST 4 hours there. There is a small cafe so you can also get something to eat. To check on Ferry departure times and locations, call Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry, Inc. directly at (212) 269-5755. Also take a look at the website: http://www.ellisisland.com/sitemap.html

I will be visiting NYC soon and plan on visiting several museums, the "biggies" plus hopefully some of the smaller ones. Does NYC have a museum pass like Paris does? (It allows you to visit several museums for a reduced rate). Your comments & suggestions are welcomed.

Oops - sorry, I posted my question in the wrong area.

Dear all - Thanks for your replies. I will check the website nearer the time of my visit. Ellis Island is already on my itinerary - have missed doing it on the last two trips and this time and determined to see it. Have heard wonderful reports about it and can't wait to see it. Thanks again.

Smart decision, Emma. Ellis Island should be at or near the top of everyone's must-see list for NYC. It's well worth the cost of the boat trip.