Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island, New York City

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Gone are the days when the Statue of Liberty welcomed immigrants - mainly from Europe - to this land of milk and honey. Today, a more modern version of the poet Emma Lazarus' famous line in her sonnet The New Colussus, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," would be more relevant to tourists visiting Liberty Island.

Tired and huddled? Yes, taking into account the amount of time one queues up for the tour.

But poor? Definitely no - at least relative to probably billions of other inhabitants in this planet - with the 13-dollar-per-person ferry ride.

Worth it? Definitely, if you're a first time visitor to NYC. No visit to NYC is complete without seeing this iconic statue.

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One of the most strategic vantage points for viewing the famous Manhattan skyline is Liberty Island. Having a pair binoculars would come handy - or if you have none of that, a good DSLR lens, which also allows you to take pictures of Manhattan's famous skyline.

It's a bonus when you're lucky with the weather - the skyline looks stunning against clear blue skies. If you have a bit flexibility with your schedule, it would be best to check the weather forecast to maximize photo opportunities.

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This tour was one of the highlights of my time in New York. I am so glad that I did it and urge you not to miss it out.
We got a ferry from Battery Park which stopped at Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
We didn't get off at Liberty Island as you had a fantastic view of 'The Staute of Liberty' or sometimes known as 'Lady Liberty' from the ferry. We also thought that with not being able to climb Lady Liberty at that time, we would spend more time on Ellis Island.
For a small cost, we hired an audio tour (an iPod) and it was the best few dollars we spent. You can take the tour at your own pace with the option to pause the tour when you want to spend more time in/at a particular feature. To get onto and into Ellis Island, there is no cost. If you wish to walk around the buildings yourself, you are very welcome to, again, without cost.

With not having any prior knowledge of what Ellis Island was I was fasinated as the tour began. Ellis Island was used as a way into New York City as an immigrant from 1892-1954. More than 12 million immigrants passed through the doors.
The audio tour explain how the immigrants were treated and what they had to go through before being able to start a new life in New York. For example, a medical had to be preformed. Adults and children were marked with huge crosses on their clothes in accordance to what the Doctors found, and families were separated.

There is a museum and cafe there also

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Hundreds, if not thousands, of articles - including here on VT - have been written on the Statue of Liberty. This is not unexpected considering this French gift to the American people is one of the most visited sites in America. Cliche as it sounds - it's a must-see for first time visitors to NYC.

Being my first time in NYC, I, too went to see Lady Liberty. I too, braved the long queue, the airport-like security at the port, and the chilly late-autumn weather. Was it worth it? It was!

Somehow, Lady Liberty brings out the funny side of people. While at the island, almost every other person seems to have their favorite pose in front of the statue. Some poses could give their counterparts in Pisa (Italy) a good run for their money. But nothing beats the "half-crazy" Korean tourist who took off his shirt in near-freezing temperature.

Ellis Island in New York harbour was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States.It was the nations busiest immigrant inpection station from 1892 to 1954.The Island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934.Before that the much smaller original island was the site of Fort Gibson and later a Naval Magazine.The Main building on the island is now a historic museum depicting the story of immigrant life in America in the early 1900's and tells the story of how modern America was shaped.The island lies North of Liberty island and the Liberty island ferry stops here on its way back to Manhattan.

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The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture located on Liberty Island in New York Harbour.It was designed by the French sculptor'Frederic Bartholdi'and dedicated on October 28th 1886.The statue,a gift to the United States from the people of France,is a robed female figure representing'Libertas',the Roman goddess of freedom,who bears a torch and 'Tabula Ansata'(a tablet evoking the law)upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independance,July 4th 1776.A broken chain lies at her feet.The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States.
The statue is an excact replica of a much smaller version which stands on the banks of the River Seine in Paris,another smaller version can be seen in Las Vegas.Millions of tourists flock to see the monument every year and the it was usually the first sight to see for so many immigrants who came to New York by boat in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ferries to Liberty island run all day till dusk,check websites for times and prices.

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UPDATE: The interior of the Statue is closed for renovations until October 2012. Liberty Island remains open to the public.

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.

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).

A trip to New York without seeing the Staue of Liberty is incomplete. You ahve to go and see the majestic lady in the harbour. The size of the Statue of Liberty is only fully appreciated when you get close to her on the island. The location is amazing and the views back to Manhattan are also pretty incredible. ALso visit Ellis Island with all of its history and the building on the islands are incredibly beautiful. Maybe my favourite thing about going to see these sites though was the ferry trip to both islands. It offers the best views of downtown Manhattan.