Statue of Liberty: The must-see monument in New York

What You Need to Know About the Statue of Liberty

• The Statue of Liberty is the most iconic monument in New York. Since 1886, the statue has stood on Liberty Island, a small island in the middle of New York Harbor, facing Manhattan and the buildings of the Financial District.
• This emblematic monument of New York and America as a whole welcomed more than 3.7 million visitors in 2024, according to the National Park Service, the federal agency that manages the monument. It remains by far the most visited site in New York. The statue is expected to approach 4 million visitors by 2026!
• Yet the monument is not as large as you might think. The Statue of Liberty stands 93 m (305 ft) tall from ground to torch, including the pedestal. The statue itself, without the pedestal, measures just 46.5 m (153 ft). Its symbolic reach, however, remains immense. The statue was the monument that welcomed European immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—a representation of the American dream within reach.
• Miss Liberty’s image appears throughout New York. You’ll also find it at every entry point to the United States, particularly in airports. The statue stands as America’s most iconic symbol. It regularly serves to represent the concept of freedom.
• The statue was designated a historic monument in 1924 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984. UNESCO calls it “a masterpiece of colossal statuary.” Given its design, the monument is indeed a remarkable technological achievement for its time.

The History of the Statue of Liberty

• The Statue of Liberty is a gift from the French people to the American people on the occasion of the centennial of American independence in 1876. The statue is originally called “Liberty Enlightening the World.” She holds a torch in her right hand and the American Declaration of Independence in her left, with the date July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals.
• The monument was created by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi in his workshop on rue de Chazelles in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. This colossal project employed more than 600 people. Bartholdi called upon a renowned engineer to design the statue’s internal structure: Gustave Eiffel, creator of the famous Eiffel Tower.
• The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York in 1885. But it couldn’t be installed on Liberty Island because the pedestal wasn’t finished. The French provided the statue, but not the pedestal! It took the efforts of patrons and a New York newspaper to raise the funds through public donations.
• The statue’s official inauguration took place with great ceremony on October 28, 1886. President Grover Cleveland, former governor of New York, inaugurated the monument in the presence of 600 carefully selected guests. You can see the prestigious invitation in the statue’s museum!
• The monument’s internal structure was completely replaced in 1986 with a new stainless steel structure. The original torch was also replaced. The goal, of course, was to respect the original plans.

What to See on Liberty Island

• When you arrive on Liberty Island, head straight to the statue. You’ll have the chance to see it from behind—a view rarely shown in guidebooks. I recommend walking around the island to view Miss Liberty from every angle. Crowds naturally gather at the statue’s base, and many visitors pose with their guide in one hand and the other raised. It’s definitely one of the photos you shouldn’t miss in New York!
• Since spring 2019, the island has also housed a museum that tells the story of the statue’s construction and its place in American history. The visit recreates Bartholdi’s Paris workshops and presents countless objects bearing the statue’s image. The visit also includes three films, one of which tells the monument’s story. You’ll see the original torch in a room overlooking the statue—a striking encounter. Don’t miss the view from the museum’s roof either!
• Finally, take time to linger at the statue’s base. Liberty Island offers a superb view of Manhattan’s skyline and New York Harbor. Make the most of it!

Practical Information and Tickets

• Access: To reach the monument, you must take one of the ferries departing from Battery Park in Manhattan. Present your tickets or passes at the ticket windows in Castle Clinton, the small fort located in Battery Park. Entry to the statue is through Castle Clinton. You’ll pass through security before boarding.
• Hours: The statue is open daily from 8:30 am to 4 pm.
• Tickets: To book your tickets, use our Statue of Liberty ticket reservation tool. Select the tickets you need from three pricing options: Adult General Admission (ages 13–61), Senior General Admission (age 62+), and Child General Admission (ages 4–12). These “General Admission” tickets include round-trip ferry service, access to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island, entry to the museums on both islands, and an audio guide for both islands.
• Since May 2024, ticket reservations are required for all departures from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan. Tickets cannot be purchased on-site.
• Tip: Access to the Statue of Liberty is included in several New York tourist passes. You’ll find the statue in the New York City Pass, the New York Pass, the New York Explorer Pass, and the C3 Pass. With a pass, you can also depart from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

• Guided tours operate in small groups of up to 15 people and include priority boarding at Battery Park. Even better: this guided visit includes access to the statue’s pedestal, with access to the observatory at the base of the statue—a real privilege!

Frequently Asked Questions

Statue of Liberty Video

Statue of Liberty Photos

Reviews of the Statue of Liberty in New York

• Michel B.: “Not seeing the Statue of Liberty up close is like coming to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower.”
• Audrey G.: “On our first trip to New York, we chose to see the statue from the Staten Island Ferry and we really regretted it. On our second trip, this was the first thing we did, and it’s absolutely not comparable! You really need to go to its base. Plus Ellis Island is a must. It was amazing.”
• Marie-José P.: “The Statue of Liberty museum opened in 2019 and it’s beautiful inside!”
• Pascale N.R.: “I loved the statue museum—it’s very interactive.”
• Aurélie S.: “In the museum, there are selfie stations that let you appear on a digital wall afterward. This visit is a wonderful memory for us.”
• Marie D.: “You might not know this, but there’s a bronze plaque engraved on the inside of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal bearing the name Emma Lazarus and a sonnet from one of her poems, ‘The New Colossus.’ Emma Lazarus was descended from America’s first Jewish colonists and felt deeply concerned about immigrants’ plight. She wrote ‘The New Colossus’ for an exhibition and auction to fund the pedestal in 1883. At the statue’s inauguration on October 28, 1886, she wasn’t mentioned. But after her death a year later, the text was rediscovered in 1901 and the plaque was added to the statue in 1903.”
• Anne-Cécile F.: “If you live in New Jersey, you can take the ferry from New Jersey—it’s a great option because the ferry from New Jersey is much less crowded. We arrived with a fantastic view of the statue and almost no one on board for the 9 am ferry!”

Reviews of the Statue of Liberty from our Destination New York Facebook group

Map: Getting to the Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty by the Numbers

What to Do After This Visit

• Allow enough time between your visit to the statue and your next activity. You need to account for the ferry ride back and any potential wait time for the return ferry. During peak season, especially in summer, you may need to wait for a less crowded ferry back to Manhattan.
• I recommend continuing to Battery Park and New York’s Financial District. If you have enough time, consider taking a helicopter tour of New York—the heliport is just steps from the statue’s ferry terminal. You can also walk up to South Street Seaport and the Brooklyn Bridge, then continue to Brooklyn. Another option is to head toward the World Trade Center. Climb to the top of One World Observatory for an unbeatable view of New York and the Statue of Liberty from above.