The world’s most recognisable statue nearly ended up guarding the Suez Canal. The sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi drew up plans for Egypt, but the US’s greater financial muscle saw Lady Liberty heading west to New York City instead. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re planning on catching the ferry to meet her.
Main photo: The Statue of Liberty, New York City (Alamy)
Getting there
The only way to access Liberty Island, Lady Liberty’s crown and Ellis Island for the Immigration Museum, is to board the Statue Cruises ferry service (around £18). The quietest time to take a ferry ride is on a Monday or Tuesday (pre-midweek school groups, post-weekenders); print your tickets at home and be at Battery Park by 7.45am to queue for the day’s first boat at 8.30am. Nab a rooftop spot on the starboard side for the best views.
Most take the free (crowded) Staten Island Ferry; the savvy spend a few pounds to cross to Governors Island from the Battery Maritime Building. You’ll get just as close and that horizon won’t be moving.
Avoiding the crowds
There’s no getting around the US National Park Service, which closed the statue for eight years post-9/11. If you want to reach the crown, it’s crucial to book with Statue Cruises in advance online — at least three months. But this does get you priority entry into the queue for the ferry back, which could save you hanging around for an hour.
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What not to do
Turn up with heavy bags or without ID and you won’t be going anywhere. Liberty Island is a national monument, so prepare for airport-style security.
Don’t even think about eating on Liberty Island, where food is limited and pretty ropey. Instead, save your appetite for the cheeseburger (“the Cadillac of burgers,” according to Nat King Cole) at PJ Clarke’s, a Manhattan waterfront tavern that saw the statue get to its feet in 1886 and still stares across at it today.
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