November 02, 2007

Timed-ticket entry launches for Statue of Liberty ferry

On January 1, 2008, a lot of things will be changing at the Statue of Liberty.

That's the day Hornblower Cruises & Events takes over operations from Circle Line downtown, offering the only option to get to and from Liberty and Ellis islands. And in hopes of cutting down those lines before you board the boat, they're offering timed-entry ticketing.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry tickets are now available for anyone looking to visit from January 1 through March 31, 2008. (December 15 is the target date to launch ticket availability for dates in April and beyond.)

What's not changing is that the crown remains closed and the only way to get into the museum in the pedestal -- and to look up into the statue from her toe-level -- is to get a free monument pass. The National Park Service only allows a small percentage of each day's visitors inside the statue; currently you can reserve a free pass in advance, or show up first thing in the morning to get one (as the entire day's allotment is often gone within five minutes.)

The new ticket page offers three options: Reserve Ticket; Reserve Ticket with Monument Pass and Flex Ticket.

What you want is Reserve Ticket With Monument Pass. That gets you both islands and access to the inside of the Statue of Liberty.

Unchanged for now, tickets will still be priced at $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for children.

But for the same price, you can get less! The "Reserve Ticket" gets you only onto the grounds of Liberty Island: no museum, no pedestal. Or there's the "Flex Ticket" which gives you a three-day window in which to use your ticket. You'll get to skip the ticket line on the southern tip of Manhattan, but you won't get "priority entry to security check-in," which everyone with the reserved tickets get. And with the flex pass, you can try to get a monument pass, but only by showing up first thing in the morning before they run out.

The new ticket site kindly notes that you need five to six hours to fully see both islands. The first boat on New Year's Day departs at 9 a.m. There are eight time-slot options for the day; the last departure is at 1:30 p.m. (NewYorkology's advice has always been to take the first boat of the day, with a monument pass of course. Read NewYorkology's full April report for details and tips on visiting the Statue of Liberty.) Note that all references to the ferry ticket, now and in 2008, covers the ferry trip to both islands and admission (which is free) to both national park sites: Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.

If you're starting your visit from New Jersey rather than Manhattan, use this ticket page for all visits in 2008.

If you plan to visit before January 2008, use Circle Line's page.

Earlier: Circle Line to keep Statue of Liberty ferries through '07
Ferry dispute may close Statue of Liberty in Oct. - Sun
Statue of Liberty ferries to get timed-entry ticketing
Circle Line loses Statue of Liberty ferry monopoly
High in the Sky: Statue of Liberty's observation decks
Fire safety keeping Statue of Liberty's top closed

November 2, 2007 07:54 AM in Architecture, Cheap Stuff, Downtown, History, Kids, Museums, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology, Transportology

®Copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved