Experience the best Statue of Liberty tours

In total, the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet tall. The statue portion is 151 feet, and the pedestal she stands on is 154 feet

Believe it or not, the statue was originally the color of a penny when she was completed in 1886. That’s because the statue is made of copper, and the metal has naturally oxidized over time. This process has turned the Statue of Liberty a shade of minty green.

Yes, but you’ll need to purchase a pedestal reserve or crown reserve ticket. With the pedestal reserve ticket, you can climb or take the elevator to the base of the statue. You need to climb 26 stairs to reach the elevator, so visitors with mobility issues need to be certain they can make the climb. Unfortunately, there is no elevator access from the pedestal to the crown, and these tickets are extremely limited. 

Both Liberty Island and Ellis Island have food and drink concession stands. You’re also allowed to pack your own food, but keep in mind that large bags and coolers are prohibited. You might want to consider finding something to eat near Battery Park in NYC or Liberty State Park in New Jersey before or after you return from your tour.

Though people often visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island together, they’re on separate islands. The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island. The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration is the main attraction on Ellis Island. The islands are right by each other, and the ferry will take you to both.

On Ellis Island, you can tour the grounds where millions of immigrants passed through between 1892 and 1954. Look for outdoor monuments like the American Immigrant Wall of Honor, featuring 775,000 immigrant names — and more are being added. You can also tour the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. This museum includes exhibits, period rooms, records, and more relating to American immigrants.

The Statue of Liberty Museum is all about New York’s most famous landmark, and it’s still relatively new, as it just opened in 2019. Several of the artifacts on display came from the museum that was originally inside the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. Touring the museum today, you can learn about the sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, discover more about the symbolism of the statue, and even see the original torch.

The Statue of Liberty crown is accessible to the public, but there are typically only around 60 tickets per hour on a given day — and those sell out months in advance. From the pedestal, visitors reach the crown via a strenuous climb up another 162 steps via a narrow staircase. Crown visits are limited to 10 minutes. Our tours don’t include crown access, and we find the views from the ground level are actually the better skyline shots, but if the crown is a must-do for you, be sure to book as soon as possible. Only four tickets are allowed per order.

Our Statue of Liberty tours meet close to Castle Clinton in Battery Park, where there’s a ferry departure point for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. 

The ferry is accessible, but there’s a fair amount of walking and some steps that might be difficult for strollers and wheelchairs. Please book a private tour if you have a mobility issue.

We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your tour is scheduled to begin. You need to be on time to go through security. Consider arriving even earlier during peak times and holidays as this can impact traffic and crowd sizes in the park.

The guided portion of our express tour is about two hours. You can stay as long as you want after the tour ends at Liberty Island and return to Battery Park when ready. Total time should be about three hours, but allow an extra hour if you plan to visit Ellis Island on your own. The full tour takes closer to five hours, four of these spent with your guide.

In the interest of time, our express tour doesn’t include a guided visit to Ellis Island, though you’re welcome to visit on your own, and your ferry ticket will take you there. Our full Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour includes visiting Ellis Island with your guide. Since guiding isn’t allowed inside the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, your guide will let you know what to look for before you visit on your own. Museum admission is free.

We’ll be on our feet for most of the tour, and there are some stairs. The ferry ride over has some limited seating, and your guide will lead you on a walking tour of the grounds to point out the different sights. If mobility is an issue, please arrange for a private tour.

The National Park Service doesn’t allow any guiding inside the Statue of Liberty Museum. Your guide will give you a thorough introduction to the museum so you can explore it on your own and know what to look for.

Our tours run rain or shine, so please check the local forecast to plan. In rare cases when we have to cancel for extreme weather, we’ll offer you the chance to reschedule or give a full refund.

We understand plans change. We offer a 100% refund or the option to reschedule up to 24 hours before your tour start time. Cancellations within 24 hours aren’t eligible for refunds or rescheduling.

Tips are always appreciated by our guides but never expected. They should be given if you believe your guide did an outstanding job and if you personally want to demonstrate your appreciation to the guide.