Visiting Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tips: See NYC in a day or less

Jersey City is a better alternative to stay if you want to see New York City. There is less traffic, it is much quieter, and not as crowded. I was in Jersey City for the weekend to attend a conference, and before I made the drive up, I was looking all over the internet for what I could see on my last day in the city. Friday and Saturday were dedicated to the conference, and Sunday was return home day. But since my sister and I were driving home in our own car, and we didn’t have a plane to catch, we decided to go sightseeing for the first half of the day before starting our drive back home on Sunday. That was the plus side of driving, we got to set our own schedule. A flight didn’t create our schedule.

 If you plan on seeing the city in a day or less, I suggest you start your day early. This will make it possible for you to see Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, and Liberty State Park.

Visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty

Of course, if you are in Jersey City or New York City, one of the places everyone wants to see is the Statue of Liberty.

Should I board from Liberty State Park or The Battery Park?

Liberty State Park is located on the New Jersey side and The Battery is located on New York City side. It doesn’t matter which side you board from in terms of cost of the ferry tickets. It is the same. I recommend boarding the ferry from the New Jersey side as opposed to the New York side. Why, you ask? There is less crowds. Meaning finding parking will be easy, and you will get on the ferry faster.

On the ferry over to both islands, you could see how jam-packed the New York ferries were, and how less crowded and emptier the New Jersey ones were. You literally have the ferry to yourself, and a few others. That means you can sit wherever you want. Not to mention, the islands are much closer to New Jersey than New York. That means, faster ferry rides!

Depending on which ferry you board, the order you visit the islands will be different. If you board from New Jersey, then you will go to Ellis Island First and then Liberty Island. On the other hand, if you board from New York, you will go to Liberty Island and then Ellis Island. If you plan on visiting both islands, then the order shouldn’t matter as much.

Can you get on at one park and return to the other park?

This is a question that is asked many times. Is it possible to get on the ferry at Liberty State Park, and then get off at Battery Park? Yes, it is possible. Just get on the ferry to the destination you wish to go. Just keep in mind, that once you return to either park, you will not be able to get back on the ferry without having to purchase another ticket. Follow the appropriate signs (shoutout to the park service. They are so organized, and everything is labeled so well, that it would be hard to get on the wrong ferry).

How much are tickets?

The price of the tickets is all dependent on what part of the Statue of Liberty you want access to. There are three main types of tickets: access to the ground, access to the pedestal, and access to the crown. No matter which of those types of tickets you purchase, it will include the ferry ride and access to Ellis Island.

If you purchase the cheapest ticket, the access to Liberty Island grounds, then you will only be able to see the Statue of Liberty from the outside while roaming the grounds of the island. You will not be able to go inside the statue. Personally, I would choose one of the other two options. I don’t know when or if I will have the chance to come back, and since I am there, why not see as much as possible, right?

We ended up going with the pedestal tickets. Keep in mind, when you are purchasing these tickets, they are for a specific time. You will not be able to enter until the time on your ticket. So, make sure you incorporate the ferry ride into your planning when choosing a time. The pedestal ticket gives you access to the grounds and the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

Our original plan was to purchase the crown tickets, but we did not purchase them in time. The crown and pedestal tickets are usually reserved way in advance. So, if you are interested in going up to the crown, then plan months in advance. Those tickets sell out fast. Thus, we had to opt for the pedestal tickets. The crown ticket basically gives you access to everything the other tickets give, plus access to go up the statue of the liberty to her crown.

Where do I park and how much is parking?

There is a parking lot located near where the ferry is docked. But, you will have to pay to park there. This is nice, so you don’t have to walk that far to catch the ferry. And if you purchase you tickets ahead of time online, then you can go straight to boarding. That means no having to wait in line to purchase a ticket on site. Time saved!

My sister and I were trying to save as much money as possible, so instead of paying to park, we decided to park in Liberty State Park by the playgrounds. Our plan was, that if we had time, after visiting the two islands, to check out the park itself. Not to mention, parking in the park near the playgrounds is free. Money saved! The only thing to keep in mind is that you will have to walk to the ferry dock. It is a little bit of a walk, but I will taking having to walk anytime over having to pay a ridiculous amount for parking my car closer.

What can I bring with me?

Now that you have all the major details planned out, what tickets you want, which park you want to board from, and parking, it’s time to plan what items to bring with you to the islands. If you are only planning to visit the ground of the Statue of Liberty, you have a little bit more freedom in what you can bring. Freedom in terms of food and drinks, not freedom as in you can bring anything you want to bring. Keep in mind you will have to go through security, so choose what you bring with you wisely. Not to mention, you will have to carry it. So, keep it light.

The more restrictions start to apply when you are going up the pedestal or up to the crown. Going up to the pedestal, you are allowed to carry your purse and water with you. However, it can’t be a backpack type purse. They will not allow it. On the other hand, if you plan to go up to the crown, you will only be allowed to bring that water bottle up with you. Your purse and other belongings will have to be locked away in a locker which costs a dollar or two. Keep in mind, you do have to go through security before you board the ferry. And they claim, it’s just like airport security, so be careful on what you bring with you. Although, I felt it was worse than airport security.

Side story:

When I go through airport security or museum security, usually if the detector goes off it is either because I forgot to take my karra (bracelet) off, my rubber band, or my boots. But, when I went through the security for the ferry and it went off, this was not the case. I just assumed it was my rubber band or boots. So, she had me take my shoes off before walking back through it, and it still went off.

Now, I am being asked to step to the side. I wasn’t worried because I didn’t have anything on me that was restricted by them. The lady started to move the manual scanner along my body, but then paused. My heart stopped for a second. Then, she asked if I was over 18. Phew. She just thought I was younger than I was and needed an adult present. Thank God she didn’t say she detected something. No worries lady, I get this all the time. I am a legal adult. You may proceed with your individualized scanning.

Then, she continues her scanning and the thing beeps around my belly. Strange.

She asks me what I have under my shirt. And I tell her nothing. And she doesn’t believe me. She’s like, no belly ring or chain? Nothing. I told her nothing. I will show you if you want. She was hesitant, but then she let me go.

Let me tell you. I wasn’t nervous at first, but then my heart began to thud because I was starting to think I might not be able to go. Despite not having anything unusual. Their security was not what I expected. Airport security was less daunting than that. And that is saying something.

Interested in knowing how our experience went? Check out the post on our experience on both islands!