Statue of Liberty--how much time?
 

We have tickets for the 9:45 AM Statue of Liberty tour for our upcoming trip to NYC in April. Would we have time to complete the tour and get back to the theater district in time for a 2PM matinee?

You will not have enough time. There will be a line to get on the ferry, having to pass thru security. Then there is another security line on the island to enter the statue. Those two waits can be over an hour each. Add the two ferry runs, stopping at Ellis Island on the return, and then get yourself from downtown to midtown in time for the show. I wouldn't try to do both in one day, given that time frame. Pick an evening show to see instead.

As the above poster says, you can't do it. Besides the security lines, the ferries only run every 45 minutes, so you will spend a lot of time waiting in lines.

Are you stopping at Ellis Island too? If so, I think you might want to devote more time. It is a great little museum in there, and absolutely fascinating.

I'd to a nice, late mid-afternoon lunch, and then meandor to the theater district for an evening show.

No way will you have enough time ... plan on an evening show instead. Also, be sure to get to Battery Park around 1 1/2 hours before you want to get on the ferry ... lines are incredibly long, especially on the weekends.

Spend the extra time at Ellis Island ... we went last year, and would highly recommend, especially the museum on the 3rd floor ... very moving.

Cancell Statue tour, go to Ellis Island instead ( you will get a good view of Liberty). Spend 2 hours at Ellis Island.

Agree with both suggestions. If you can only do one Ellis Island is much better than the SOL - plus no wait for security at the statue and you can still get good photos from the ferry.

And no - you won;t have time to do this and make a 2pm show - simply too much time waiting on lines and for ferries.

I was just there. NO WAY will you make it. And you won't make it with just Ellis Island either. They use the same boats. I ran into about FOUR -4 hours total of security lines. about 2 for each- entrance on to the Circle Line Boat and another 2 for access to the Statue of Liberty. I had 10:45am access tickets, didn't get into the monument until after 1pm.

Plenty of people who wanted to buy my tickets- most people still do not know you need access passes.

Good point to make to OP. When you buy your ferry ticket, you must ask for a pass to enter the Statue of Liberty. The pass will have a time on it with, I think, a three-hour window. You cannot get into the Statue without the pass and you can get it only when you buy your ferry ticket. The pass is free.

For clairfication- they do have a limited amount SAME day access passes to the Statue of Liberty, that are given out at 7am each morning. You are best to be in line by 6:30am for a chance.