April 19, 2007
Statue of Liberty: long lines, mondo security, big payoff
Earlier this week, NewYorkology again tested out the regular Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry experience and the news is not good.
 The bad news is that more than any other touristy thing to do in New York City, during a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island you will be herded like animals in and out of cramped quarters, forced to stand in long lines with people with differing standards of courtesy and personal space, and be fed conflicting information, or sometimes none at all.
That said, if you're coming to New York, it's still worth the hassle. But you probably need to allocate a full day to visiting these two bedrocks of Americana.
There are a few ways to ace the system, however, rules seem to change at random so even your best laid plans may leave you tired and huddling with the masses.
You have very few choices: only one ferry company goes to the islands (Circle Line;) all food is sold by one company (Aramark,) and the museums are operated solely by the National Parks Service. The immigrants had it just about the same way and they got scammed too, so at least consider it historically accurate.
 At least a week before your trip, be certain to buy your tickets in advance. On Tuesday morning, those who had ordered online and had a printed confirmation got priority over those who ordered by phone.
When you buy your ticket make sure you select the box for a free monument access pass. Unless you have one of these, you may as well stay on the boat because you won't be able to get inside the museum or the statue. There are a limited number of these time-coded passes available each day, (3,200 according to one ranger.) Some are available online and by phone, and some are available at the ticket booth every morning, but the whole day's worth of the walk-up ones are usually gone within five to 10 minutes. And judging by the foolishness of the line management system and opening time, (as witnessed Tuesday morning,) just showing up early may not guarantee you a pass.
 Super-clever NewYorkology knew to get the earliest pass available because otherwise you won't have time to see much of Ellis Island if you waste it in all the ferry and statue lines. Time-wise NewYorkology also knew that by getting on the first boat of the day you're only required to show up 45 minutes before your tour rather than two hours early.
Wrong.
"We changed our hours yesterday," the snippy woman said after quietly announcing the first boat wouldn't depart until 9:30. This came just a few minutes after she separated out reservations from the long line around Castle Clinton, leaving the first people in line still standing there wondering what they'd done wrong.
Sure, they had changed their hours and boat schedule on Monday, but despite that the ticket envelope she handed over proved that the Circle Line ticketing system still had sold tickets for the earlier time. (See picture below where manila envelope indicates 8:45 a.m. tour, but actual time pass says 9:45 a.m.) Also, if you go online now, four days after the hours changed, they're still offering passes for next week with the old, earlier time. Do note that the hours will go back the earlier time for summer.
Most people didn't hear the announcement about the delay so went over to stand in the line for the security tent, unaware the boat wouldn't depart for 90 minutes.
Before boarding the boat, you will go through airport-style security (operated by Wackenhut.) As on previous occasions, the security workers here were found to be polite and thorough and repeatedly checked to make sure people removed their coats, belts, watches and other items before they got right up to the machine. Everyone got to keep their shoes on.
But once through security, an entire boatload of passengers are jammed into the ante-tent until the ferry arrives. It's a tight uncomfortable fit that lasts about 10 to 25 minutes.
On the ferry, there is limited seating inside for the 15-minute ride to Liberty Island (always the first stop if you take the ferry from Battery Park.) There are more benches on the top deck, which will fill up fast on a sunny day. You get great views of Manhattan shrinking from view and then a great photo op of Lady Liberty from the water.
 Once you land on Liberty Island, walk straight ahead, then turn right at the massive flagpole toward the next security tent. Here, a ranger will make sure you have a timed-entry pass and mention there are lockers inside the adjacent gift shop tent. You will need to use the lockers if you have a backpack, laptop, DVD player or even food -- you can't even take water into the Statue of Liberty. Lockers cost $1 for two hours and accept dollar bills and credit cards.
At this security tent, you'll stand in yet another switchback line, again leading to more airport-style security. There is nothing here to entertain you or inform you about the statue, except one stand-alone item about Emma Lazarus in one corner. The videos up front only display security information, and even then, they do not indicate that food and even water are prohibited. There are hand-written signs saying no food or drink -- but they're all in English, just like the announcements made by security personnel despite the fact this is a big draw for foreign tourists.
There is one more addition to security here: the puffer machine that checks for explosives and chemicals. Each person stands in the machine and puffs of air are shot at you. About 10 seconds later, a green light comes on and you've passed. Now it gets easy.
As you walk out of the security tent, you're at the base of the statue. As you go inside, you'll find Liberty's original torch.
This is also the meeting point for the free ranger-led tour. You can take the tour if you want, or just continue on to the museum at your own pace. The museum is fairly small but filled with great stuff, including full-size replica's of Lady Liberty's face and a foot, the plaque with Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colossus" ("Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, ...") and lots of pictures, model forms, news clippings and other items about the statue's construction, opening and operation.
After the museum, follow the arrows to get as close as you can to the statue itself. (There was no line on Tuesday, but last time NewYorkology tested it out, there was a long line at this point.) You have a choice of taking an elevator or 156 steps up to the observation level.
The highest you can get is to the statue's toes. (The torch closed to public access in 1916 and the crown was last open to the public on Sept. 10, 2001.) You can take as much time as you like here, craning your neck up, looking at the inside of the statue through a plastic screen. You can see the double-helix stairwell going up - one up, one down -- along with the beams holding the statue in place and all the curves and corners of the statues gown, toes, knee and other bits the rangers will point out. You can also see the dismantled portion of the public stairwell that used to lead to the double-helix stairwell.
From here, you walk through a door and out to the top observation deck, putting you about 150 feet in the sky. You'll get a stellar (probably windy) view of the harbor and its abundant boats, Staten Island, the Verrazano Bridge, Brooklyn, Governors Island, the East River, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan, the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge, Ellis Island and New Jersey.
From here, you go back into the statue's base and head down for views from two more levels, including one with several markers explaining sights in the harbor. At one spot, a sign points out the pre-Sept. 11 skyscrapers in Manhattan, with the Twin Towers still standing.
 Back on solid ground, you can walk around the island itself, where you can spend a quarter to see Manhattan close-up, or check out some metal sculptures of some of the famous figures of the statue's past, including Lazarus, (right,) fundraiser Joseph Pulitzer and sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. There is an audio tour you can buy to guide you on your walk.
There are two gift shops - one by the lockers, the other closer to the ferry dock where you'll also find the fast-food style restaurant. (The menu at the left is actually from the Ellis Island food court.)
 When you head to the ferry dock, make sure you get on the boat to Ellis Island (unless you really want to go to New Jersey.)
"Do we have to disrobe again," a woman was heard to say as she waited to board the ferry to Ellis. No, the security checkpoints are over at this point. Ellis is easier to navigate, with the main thing to know is that if you're planning on looking up your family's history you should start online before you go. (You can search the records free online from home, and that also allows you to call Aunt Carol and get all your dates and names in order. You'll make better use of your time there if you don't waste it sorting through the basics.) While you should be able to find every Ellis Island immigrant in that computerized database, do know that they're not all listed on a wall there (you have to make a donation for that.)
On Ellis, there are also free ranger-led tours, and starting April 24, 2007 the public can also tour the first "new" building to open on Ellis since it opened as a museum in 1990. The Depression-era ferry building was just restored and reopened and (until fall,) offers a great view of the sunken Ellis Island ferry that would take successful immigrants to Manhattan to start their new lives.
 (NewYorkology skipped the main Ellis tour on Tuesday, and only made a quick walk-through of the SOL museum, and still didn't get back to Manhattan until 2:45 p.m. so assume that this journey will eat up almost all of your day, probably leaving you tired and hungry and on a boat with the masses, huddling , climbing on furniture, or otherwise.)
Earlier: Odd rules for new Statue of Liberty ferry bidders
Ellis Island to open historic ferry building in winter
NewYorkology Basics: Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
April 19, 2007 09:16 PM in Downtown, Kids, Museums, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology
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