New York City Statue of Liberty National Monument

411 Link All, New York City Online Business Directory and City Guide.

.com

Your Guide to Everything New York City!

NYC Statue Of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World, French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an iconic symbol of freedom and of the United States.

Bartholdi was inspired by French law professor and politician Édouard René de Laboulaye, who commented in 1865 that any monument raised to American independence would properly be a joint project of the French and American peoples. Due to the troubled political situation in France, work on the statue did not commence until the early 1870s. In 1875, Laboulaye proposed that the French finance the statue and the Americans provide the pedestal and the site. Bartholdi completed both the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions. The arm was displayed in New York's Madison Square Park from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for the Americans, and by 1885 work on the pedestal was threatened due to lack of funds. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer of the World initiated a drive for donations to complete the project, and the campaign inspired over 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar. The statue was constructed in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland. Wikipedia

Operating Hours & Seasons

Seasonal Hours:

May 2-May 27: the first ferry departs from mainland at 9:00AM.

May 28-September 5: the first ferry departure is at 8:30AM

Please note that wait times to board ferries are often over 90 minutes. If you have a reservation to enter any level of the Monument you are required to complete a secondary security screening which also entails an additional wait time of 20-30 minutes. Visitors with reservations MUST complete this process before 3:30 PM and no exceptions are made. If you have reservations or wish to visit Liberty AND Ellis Island, The National Park Service STRONGLY suggest boarding a ferry leaving mainland by 1PM. It is essential that you factor in security clearance and ferry transportation times when planning your trip.

The last boat off of Liberty Island is at 5:00 PM, from Ellis Island at 5:15 PM. Visitors choosing to arrive on the final ferry departure from mainland may only visit Liberty Island. Liberty and Ellis Islands are open daily except December 25th.

Entrance Fees:

There is no entrance fee for the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island. However, you must purchase a ferry ticket in order to visit the Islands. Private vessels are prohibited.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry Fees:

Children 4-12 $5.00

Adults 13+ $13.00

Seniors 62+ $10.00

Statue of Liberty,

Liberty Island, New York, NY, United States

NYC Weather

Statue of Liberty