Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

Please note that this page has 15 photos in it and will take more than 3 minutes to download so please be patient. There will be no thumbnails on this page. So while you are waiting for the all the pictures to come out, why not take your time to read what I have written below.

The Statue of Liberty is the America’s symbol of freedom. It was built in New York Harbor in 1886. A gift from France, no monuments is more recognizable with America than The Statue of Liberty. This is a definite “must-see” for all tourist. The entry is free but you have to pay for the ferry’s fare.

To get to Liberty Island, you have to take a ferry that leaves Battery Park every 45 minutes. The ferry’s cost is $7 which includes Ellis Island as well. As usual, the X-ray and metal detector drill applies here. To go up The Statue of Liberty, you can either take an elevator to the observation deck at the foot of the statue or climb up to the crown of the statue. Due to the narrowness of the staircase, it may take up to 3 hours to climb up. I went on a quiet day and it took me just an hour to climb up moving only a few steps at a time. Inside the statue, the staircase spirals up. There is a space of less than 10 feet inside the crown. Most people would only stay up there for a few seconds for a photograph or two. There is also a museum in the base of the statue with life-size replicas of the statue’s face and foot.

Ellis Island is just 5 minutes away. It used to be an immigration station from 1892 to 1954 where millions of immigrants enter into America. It has now been converted into an Immigration Museum filled with display of immigrants belongings and stories. Immigrants who came by the sea from the east, would see The Statue of Liberty first and then will have to register at Ellis island. This is indeed a place of great history. Worthy a visit.