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| Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island tips and photos posted by real travelers and New York City locals. • 587 Photos
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 | New York City Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Reviews | 1 - 10 of 391 |  |
Who feels a lump in the throat at first sight of The Great Lady? I do, not just at first sight but also time after time.
Who needs to know the technical details when a friend across the ocean presented you with such monumental gift? I don't.
Thousands upon thousands of people have written about the history, the facts and factoids about Statue of Liberty, adding my part would just not a thing to do. It was a gift of friendship -- let's not dwelt into the whys and hows, and let's not spoil the sentiment.
Let's remember what Emma Lazarus expressed so eloquently in 1883 and see if we can help keeping the spirit of giving alive:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
with conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
with silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-- Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) Leave a Comment Directions: Only so many visitors are allowed the climb to the pedestal. There is no charge to do this, but you need to make a reservation either on-line at Statue Reservations or by phone at (866) 782-8834.Website: http://www.nps.gov/stli/
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Imagine the immigrants in the late XIX century and the early XX century. They were Russians, Jewish, Greeks, Irish, Scottish, English, Germans, Scandinavians, Italians, Polish, Romanians, Croatians, Serbians, Lithuanians, Slovenians, Hungarians, Afghanistans, and Arabians. They were old men and old women, young men and young women, children and infants. They were here because they yearned for the taste of freedom, to be able to voice out their thoughts and follow their practice of religion. They were here to take advantage of the plentiful opportunities to make a decent living. They were here to reunite with their relatives. They were here to start a new life -- a good life -- for their children.
There were 34 millions people who passed through the doors that you pass through today, climbed up the same stairs you climb today, stood in the same halls where you stand today. They were strangers to you and you do not know them at all, or they were your ancestors and you are a part of their bloodline.
Try to be in Ellis Island on a weekday or in the low season when there is not a throng of tourists around. Walk through the door, climb up the stairs, and sit in the hall. Look at the pictures and the personal belongings display there. Imagine the mass of people who were here a hundred years or so ago, the strangers and the relatives. Be very quiet, and listen.
Each time I was here, I swore I could hear them still.
No, Ellis Island is not haunted by ghosts, but the fervent hope and dreams of 34 million individuals who passed through those doors had somehow lingered in spite of time past. It was in the air, now faintly but not unpleasantly. I could still hear them and feel their presence. I had goose bumps at first, and then I felt glad, very glad, that I did. Leave a Comment
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The Statue of Liberty is the most recognisable icon of New York. She stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbour.
It was a gift from the French government for the 100th birthday of America's Independence.
At the time of our visit to New York, you were not able to go inside the statue, so instead we caught the (free) Staten Island Ferry, which passes close by. It has since been open to the public, book tickets at: www.statuereservations.com
It was a little difficult to take photos, but so exciting to see her, especially with the sun setting in the back ground.
It gave me shivers.....though that could have had something to do with the cold night air!! Leave a Comment Phone: 1-866-STATUE-4Directions: South Ferry at Battery Park - Take the #5 train to Bowling Green or #1 to South Ferry Catch the ferry to Liberty Island or Staten IslandWebsite: http://www.nps.gov/stli/
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So get this. If you want to go to the green lady you should check out this site. http://www.nps.gov/stli/
It tells you more than you need to know. To go to the statue you need to ride the ferry (unless you are like a really good swimmer). You can get your ticket at Battery Park. If you plan on going in the lady (where few have gone) you need to book a ticket. They have time slots. This can be done on the Internet. You can do this by going to this site. www.statuereservations.com
There are two tours you can take. The first tour is the PROMENADE TOUR - This option takes visitors through the monument lobby, past the original torch to the Statue of Liberty Exhibit for a 20-30 minute Ranger-guided tour. Visitors will then proceed outdoors on the lower promenade and Fort Wood for a brief talk with great views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor. The second tour is the OBSERVATORY TOUR - This option incorporates the promenade tour plus a visit to the pedestal observation platform for an interesting new experience allowing visitors to view the Statue's interior framework through a new glass ceiling portal and taking part in a ranger-guided program learning about the Statue's design.
Take the second tour its better, and it does everything the fist one does. These tours are free, you just have to register for them and purchase your ferry trip (nothing like the smell of diesel smoke from a boats engine).
IF YOU LIKE MY TIP, PLEASE GIVE POSITIVE FEEDBACK, THANKS Leave a Comment
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The boats to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are quite expensive and can involve some long waits, especially in tourist season. A free alternative is to view them from the Staten Island Ferry. This ferry, primarily designed to connect the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, is also very useful for tourists, as you pass quite close to both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Coming from Manhattan, your best views are from the top deck ("hurricane deck"), starboard (right-hand) side. You'll get a similar view on the port (left-hand) side coming from Staten Island. The opposite side gives you a nice view of Brooklyn and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
Boats depart from Whitehall Ferry Terminal (co-located with the South Ferry subway stops) 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Departures range from every 15 minutes weekdays, to every 30 minutes weekends, to every hour late nights (midnight to 6 AM Monday- Saturday, midnight to 9 AM Sunday). Travel time is approximately 25 minutes. You are allowed to make an immediate return trip, but you are required to exit the ferry and re-enter from the end of the line of those waiting at Staten Island (so there's a slight possibility you'll need to wait for the next ferry if the boat is full). Passage in both directions is free. Address: 1 Ferry Terminal Drive, Staten Island NY 10301Directions: Take the 1, R, or W Train to South Ferry (UPDATE: The new station just opened, allowing exit from all 1 Train subway cars and free transfer to the R and W trains). You can also use the Bowling Green station (4,5)Website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/ferrybus/statfery.shtml
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The most important and interesting historical site to visit in the New York City area has to be Ellis Island, where about 40% of the countries immigrants passed through.
The American part of my family managed in true Sourbugger style to avoid the place completely by first being forced by nefarious events to live on a plantation in Cuba, before they upped sticks and moved to Alaska.
Three things I found surprising about Ellis Island were :
1) It may be the land of the free, and despite what it says on the statue if liberty, the First and Second Class passengers avoided the place completely because they were processed on board ship before arriving.
2) The Stairs up from the boarding points were cleverly used to give an early indication of those who were not fit enough to start a new life. Rather ironically many of their descendants now probably can't make the stairs due to being too obese.
3) Much of the complex is still unrenovated from it's days as a a mental asylum. An excellent report about this can be read at :
www.pacpubserver.com/.../ ellisisland.html
Entry is free, alough the ferry to the site is around ten dollars - details on the website Leave a Comment Directions: South Ferry at Battery Park - Take the #5 train to Bowling Green or #1 to South FerryWebsite: www.ellisisland.com
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Ellis Island takes its name from Samuel Ellis, a colonial New Yorker, possibly from Wales, who owned the island during the late 1700s and kept a tavern, serving sailors and local fishermen. Samuel Ellis was a local farmer and merchant. The Ellis Island Immigrant Station was designed by architects Edward Lippincott Tilton and William Boring. They received a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition for the building's design.
The federal immigration station opened on January 1, 1892 and was closed in November 12, 1954, but not before 12 million immigrants, were inspected there by the US Bureau of Immigration (Immigration and Naturalization Service) There are unsubstantiated estimates for immigrants processed there as high as 20 million. In the 35 years before Ellis Island opened, over 8 million immigrants had been processed locally by New York State officials at Castle Garden Immigration Depot in Manhattan. Entrance to the museum. Ellis Island was the first stop for most immigrants from Europe.
The first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island was Annie Moore, a 15-year-old girl from County Cork, Ireland, on January 1, 1892. She and her two brothers were coming to America to meet their parents, who had moved to New York two years prior. She received a greeting from officials and a $10.00 gold piece. The last person to pass through Ellis Island was a Norwegian merchant seaman by the name of Arne Peterssen in 1954. After 1924 when the National Origins Act was passed, the only immigrants to pass through there were displaced persons or war refugees. Today, over 100 million Americans can trace their ancestry to the immigrants who first arrived in America through the island before dispersing to points all over the country.
Ellis Island was one of 30 processing stations opened by the federal government. It was the major processing station for third class/steerage immigrants entering the United States in 1892; it processed 70% of all immigrants at the time. Address: Battery Park & Liberty Island, NY, NY 10017-3851Phone: (212) 363-3200.Directions: South Ferry at Battery Park - Take the #5 train to Bowling Green or #1 to South FerryWebsite: www.nps.gov/elis Other Contact: TTY: 212 363-3211.
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The Statue of Liberty is possibly the iconic sight of New York, though the competition for that role is tough. Built in 1886 she became the symbol of the United States, welcoming immigrants from the old world to the new. A famous poem, The New Colossus (written by Emma Lazarus in 1883) captures the statues significance:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
The full name of the statue, rarely used, is Liberty Enlightening the World". It was a gift from the people of France to commemorate the first centennial of the War of Independence and the friendship that had been formed between the two countries at that time. Because of this, the tablet in her left hand reads (in Roman numerals) "July 4th 1776", the date of American Independence.
When we last visited New York, in 1982, we were able to ascend right up to the crown of this venerable old lady for an amazing view of the harbour. Sadly these days this is not allowed; concerns about terrorism closed the whole island for a while, and although visitors are now allowed back, the top of the pedestal is the highest point you can reach. You must be quick off the mark even to get a ticket for this numbers are limited and when we arrived at Castle Clinton in Battery Park to purchase our tickets at around 11.00 AM, all of these Monument Access passes for the day had been sold. This didnt worry us, as wed already decided to visit only from the outside on this occasion, but if you want to go inside you should plan to go first thing in the morning, just in case, or buy in advance online.
A Monument Access pass will also allow you to go inside to see the exhibition, which includes the original torch and full scale replicas of the Statue's face and foot (a great way to appreciate the scale of the statue). The exhibition also tells the history of the statue from conception to the present day.
Outside, take the time to make a complete circuit of the statue as she looks different from every angle (as my photos show). On the far side of the island from where the ferry docks you will get a spectacular view back across the water to Lower Manhattan. There are plenty of places to sit and admire the views and the statue itself, and also a café and snack bar where we bought a couple of sandwiches and some cold drinks for a light lunch.
NB There is no entrance fee to enter the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, you pay only for the ferry: $12.00 for ages 13+, $10.00 for Senior Citizens (62 and over and $5.00 for children 4-12. As National Park Passes only apply to entrance fees, pass holders will have to pay the full amount.
For more about the ferry and ticketing arrangements please see my separate Transportation tip. Directions: The ferry leaves from Battery Park. Nearest subway stations are South Ferry (line 1), Whitehall St (line W) or Bowling Green (lines 4 & 5)Website: http://www.nps.gov/stli/
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Located in New York, at 151 feet (46 meters) tall (305 feet including base and pedestal), the Statue of Liberty symbolizes freedom throughout the world. Its formal name is Liberty Enlightening the World. The Statue was actually a gift from the people of France.
The statue, made of copper sheets with an iron framework, depicts a woman escaping the chains of tyranny, which lie at her feet. Her right hand holds aloft a burning torch that represents liberty. Her left hand holds a tablet inscribed with the date "July 4, 1776" (in Roman numerals), the day the United States declared its independence from England. She is wearing flowing robes and the seven rays of her spiked crown symbolize the seven seas and continents.
It is a large statue that was presented to the United States by France in 1886. It stands at Liberty Island, New York in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The copper-clad statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the United States and is a gesture of friendship from France to America. The sculptor was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower, engineered the internal structure.
Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States,[and, more generally, represents liberty and escape from oppression. The Statue of Liberty was, from 1886 until the jet age, often one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe. Visually, the Statue of Liberty appears to draw inspiration from il Sancarlone or the Colossus of Rhodes.
The statue is a central part of Statue of Liberty National Monument, administered by the National Park Service. Address: Liberty Island, NY, NY 10004Phone: (212) 363-3200.Directions: South Ferry at Battery Park - Take the #5 train to Bowling Green or #1 to South Ferry National Park Service, Statue of Liberty National Monument, Liberty Island, NY, NY 10004.Website: www.nps.gov/stl Other Contact: Ferry Tickets & Time Pass Reserv
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The Weather Lady said it was going to be a beautiful day, so we went to the Statue of Liberty.
For many visitors to New York, going to Liberty Island is a required event. While there are a few boats that provide service to the island, the one sanctioned by the National Park Service is Statue Cruises. Ferries depart to Liberty Island and Ellis Island from the Battery Park area of Manhattan, as well as Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Be aware the lines will be extremely long, especially during peak season. Your best bet to avoid a long wait are to visit off-season and early in the morning. Be aware security measures are very tight, and you will be required to pass through an airport-style metal detector before boarding the ferry.
Round-trip fare from Manhattan or New Jersey is $12. Limited "appointment" tickets are available online, but these only save you the time waiting at the ticket window; you still need to go through the metal detector.
As for entering the statue itself, a limited number of free "monument passes" are given to ticket holders on a first-come, first-served basis. While entry to the monument is free, there is an extremely long wait time (up to 2 hours) to get through yet another security checkpoint and enter the statue (NOTE: while you can procure a "monument pass" in advance online, you still must stand in the lengthy security line with everyone else). Note also backpacks are not allowed; free lockers are provided at the entry to the security line. Once inside the pedestal, you can see a modest museum and are allowed to climb to the top of the base. You are not allowed to climb inside the statue, however. Personally, I didn't think it was worth the 90 minutes we waited to get through security. UPDATE: Beginning on July 4, 2009, the National Park Service has announced that visitors will once again be allowed to climb up to the statue's crown.
Food and beverages are available on Liberty Island, but the food is rather expensive and the quality is mediocre at best. I choked down a greasy and cold burger that cost $8. Your best bet is probably to buy a snack on the boat (hot dog $3, nachos $5). Address: Liberty Island, New York NYPhone: +1 (212) 363-3200Directions: Closest Subway stations to the Manhattan ferry dock are South Ferry / Whitehall (1, R, and W Trains) and Bowling Green (4,5). Ferries also depart from Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey.Website: http://www.nps.gov/stli Other Contact: http://www.statuecruises.com
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