Which Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ticket should you book?
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum sit in New York Harbor, reachable only by the official ferry from The Battery in Lower Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Two ticket types cover the same round trip; this guide compares what each includes, what it costs, and which one actually suits your visit.
About This Experience
The ferry departs from The Battery in Lower Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey; the statue stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor.
Take the subway to the Battery ferry landing: 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, 1 to South Ferry, or R/W to Whitehall Street. Only the official Statue City Cruises ferry docks at Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
Ferries run roughly 9:00 to 15:30, with the islands closing around 17:00. Expect airport-style security before boarding, and times shift with the season.
The self-guided ferry ticket starts at $33 and covers the round-trip boat, both islands, and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. The guided tour is $59 and adds a guide on both islands with reserved ferry boarding.
A harbor round trip to Bartholdi's 1886 statue and, one stop on, the Great Hall where twelve million immigrants entered America.
The only ferry that lands at the statue itself, the Statue of Liberty Museum, Ellis Island's restored Great Hall, and the American Family Immigration History Center where you can search passenger records.
Check Live Availability & Prices
Ferry slots fill up on weekends and through the summer, so it helps to see real-time openings before you plan the rest of the day.
Which Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ticket to Pick
The $33 self-guided ferry ticket covers everything most visitors actually want: the round-trip boat, landing at Liberty Island, landing at Ellis Island, and entry to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. You move through the Statue of Liberty Museum and the Great Hall on your own schedule, reading the exhibits and audio content at whatever pace suits you.
The $59 guided tour buys the same ferry and the same two islands, but adds a guide who walks you through both sites and tells the history rather than leaving you to read every placard. It also comes with reserved ferry boarding, which matters more in peak season when lines at The Battery stretch long. It suits a first visit where you want the story told, less so a repeat trip or a tight budget.
Crown and pedestal access is a separate reserved ticket that sells out months ahead and is not part of either option above, so book it early if that is the goal. If you only want a look at the statue without landing anywhere, the free Staten Island Ferry passes close by and costs nothing. For most first-time visitors weighing the choice, our guide to museums in New York covers how this stop fits alongside the rest of the city's collections.
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tickets
Both options use the same official ferry and the same two islands. The difference is whether a guide walks you through the history or you read it yourself.
from $33Bucket list Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry
- Both islands
- Ellis Island museum
- Official statue ferry
from $59 Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Guided Tour
- Guided on both islands
- Reserved ferry
- History in context
What You'll See
On Liberty Island, the ferry lands you steps from the statue itself, the only boat authorized to do so. The Statue of Liberty Museum holds Bartholdi's original torch and exhibits on how the statue was built and shipped from France in pieces. Crown access, when booked separately, adds a climb inside the pedestal, but the museum and grounds give a full sense of the monument without it.
One stop later, Ellis Island's Great Hall, formally the Registry Room, is the restored space where arriving immigrants were processed for decades. The Immigration Museum's Peopling of America galleries trace that history further, and the American Family Immigration History Center lets you search passenger records if you think family may have come through here.
How a Visit Flows
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Before 9:00
Reach The Battery
Take the subway to Bowling Green, South Ferry, or Whitehall Street and walk to the Battery ferry landing. Arrive ahead of your boarding time; security screening is airport-style.
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9:00 to 10:00
Board and cross the harbor
The ferry crosses to Liberty Island first, with skyline views back toward Lower Manhattan along the way.
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Mid-morning
Liberty Island
Walk the grounds, visit the Statue of Liberty Museum, and take photos from the base. Guided tickets get a walk-through with a guide here.
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Midday
Ferry to Ellis Island
Reboard the same ferry system for the short hop to Ellis Island, included in both ticket types.
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Afternoon
Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Walk through the Great Hall and the Peopling of America galleries, and search passenger records at the American Family Immigration History Center if you're curious.
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By 15:30 to 17:00
Return ferry to Manhattan
Boats stop running in the late afternoon and the islands close around 17:00, so plan your last crossing accordingly.
Know Before You Go
Not suitable for
- Anyone who wants only a quick photo, since the round trip and both islands take a full morning or afternoon
- Travelers who can't manage the security line and boarding wait before departure
- Anyone hoping for crown access without booking that separate ticket months in advance
What to bring
- A government-issued photo ID
- Water and sunscreen; there's little shade on the ferry deck or the islands
- A layer for harbor wind, even on a warm day
- Comfortable shoes for walking both islands
Not allowed
- Large bags, backpacks, or suitcases through ferry security
- Coolers or outside food and drink in bulk
- Boarding a non-official ferry expecting it to dock at either island
Insider Tips
A few details make the difference between a smooth visit and a wasted afternoon on the water.
- Book crown access separately and months ahead if that's the goal; it is not part of either ferry ticket
- Take the earliest ferry slot you can get to see both islands without rushing the last crossing
- If you only want a look at the statue, the free Staten Island Ferry passes close by without landing
- Only Statue City Cruises boats are authorized to dock at Liberty Island and Ellis Island; other harbor boats just pass by
- The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is included in the standard ferry ticket, not an add-on
- Check the season before you go; ferry schedules run reduced hours in winter
Where You're Headed
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tickets FAQ
How much are Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tickets?
The self-guided ferry ticket starts at $33 and includes both islands and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. The guided tour is $59 and adds a guide plus reserved ferry boarding.
What are the ferry hours?
Ferries run roughly 9:00 to 15:30, with the islands closing around 17:00. Expect airport-style security before boarding, and hours shift with the season.
Is the Statue of Liberty ferry open every day?
It runs daily except December 25, though winter schedules are reduced.
How do you get to the Statue of Liberty ferry?
Take the subway to the Battery ferry landing in Lower Manhattan: 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, 1 to South Ferry, or R/W to Whitehall Street. Only the official Statue City Cruises ferry docks at Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
What do you actually see on the visit?
The Statue of Liberty Museum and grounds on Liberty Island, then Ellis Island's restored Great Hall and the Immigration Museum's Peopling of America galleries, with the American Family Immigration History Center for passenger records.
Do you need to book Statue of Liberty tickets ahead of time?
Yes. Ferry slots fill on weekends and in summer, and crown access, which is a separate ticket, sells out months in advance.
Is crown access included in the ferry ticket?
No. Crown and pedestal access is a separate reserved ticket, not part of either the self-guided or guided ferry option.
Is there a free way to see the Statue of Liberty?
The Staten Island Ferry passes close by at no cost, though it does not stop or land at either island.
What Visitors Say
We did the self-guided ferry and it was plenty. The museum on Liberty Island explains the statue well, and we still had time to read every room at Ellis Island before the last boat back.
Booked the guided tour for my parents' first trip to New York and it was worth it. Our guide had stories about Ellis Island that we would have skimmed past reading the placards ourselves.
Security took longer than we expected, so don't cut the boarding time close. Once on the water it moved smoothly and Ellis Island's Great Hall was the highlight for me, not the statue itself.