Statue of Liberty tickets same day as flight to JFK
 

I am arranging a trip on short notice and my flight connects thru JFK, I am interested in Crown Tickets for the Statue of Liberty, which are available the day I fly into NYC. Tickets are not available the following day, so I am wondering if I fly into JFK at 6 am and need to clear customs/immigration if there is any chance of getting to the Statue that afternoon (obvioulsy, I'd need to drop my luggage off at the hotel first). Tickets are available in the afternoon only. If so, is it best to book as late in the day as possible? Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.

No booking late in the day is not a good idea. The whole process (even if you have ferry and crown tickets in advance) ranges from a minimum of about 3.5 hours up to 6 hours (if you include the Ellis island Immigration Museum which is brilliant).

You should realize that even with ferry tickets you need to arrive about an hour in advance - there is airline type security and the Parks Dept suggest you allow 45 minutes for that - then ferry to Liberty Island, tour of the base, climb to the crown, then ferry to Ellis Island and either ferry right back to Manhattan (3.5 hours) or tour Ellis island and then back to Manhattan (6 hours).

You should be able to make a noon ferry with no problems - if that is available. If not, take the earliest you can get. the later in the day the longer the lines for everything.

Thank you, nytraveler, the noon ferry is available. I have been to Statue before 9/11 and remember long lines to climb to the crown, so I skipped this, big mistake. It was years until I returned to NYC, and my first trip back was after 9/11. I have been to Ellis Island and my primary goal is to climb to the Crown, and see the museum at the base of the Statue again, if that's still there.

If I understand correctly, with a noon ferry booking I'd have to be at the Pier at 11 am, is this correct?

Yes - to allow for ferry security. No large bags or backpacks are allowed.

It's possible to be at the ferry by 11am if you land at 6am, but you might have to rush, and there's a possibility you won't make it. If you allow an hour to clear immigration and customs, as well as another hour to get into Manhattan, then you have an hour to dump your bags (you won't be able to check in) and grab a bite to eat before heading downtown. That leaves you with an hour leeway, which isn't a lot.

The problem is that you will be hitting rush hour into the city, so if you take a taxi, you could get stuck in traffic for over an hour. I'd recommend the Airtrain and Long Island Railroad if you don't have a lot of luggage; it will be extremely crowded, but it's probably the fastest way into the city during rush hour. Of course that depends on where your hotel is since the LIRR arrives in Penn Station.

Many thanks, nytraveler and Doug_Stallings. I booked tickets for noon. I hope my flight isn't delayed and I am able to get to Battery Park in time.

There is also a very long security line once you are on the island to get up to the base. When we were there in August, the line was almost 2 hours long! Then, once we got through security you could either walk up all of the steps to get to the base or wait for the elevator, which was another 2 hours. Please let us know how it works out!