Seeing the Statue of Liberty with CityPASS

Tourists on a budget, who are coming to New York City wanting to explore the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island should check out the New York CityPASS . A CityPASS ticket includes one ferry ride to and from Battery Park in NY or Liberty Park in NJ which stops at Liberty Island and Ellis Island .

A Pedestal/Museum Access Pass that one must have to enter the Statue of Liberty pedestal is not included in CityPASS admission. These passes are free and available at the ticket window on a first come-first served basis. So if you want to go inside the pedestal, try to get there by 8am if possible.

The first boat departs for Liberty Island at 9:30am and the last boat leaves Liberty Island at 5:00pm. Try to get on a ferry by 1pm if you want to have time to visit both islands as one should allow for 2 hours visit per island with a total of 5 hours to see both islands. Lines to board the ferry can be quite long with a waiting time of up to 90 minutes.

Lockers are available on Liberty Island for $1.00 as backpacks and water bottles not purchased on Liberty Island are not permitted in the pedestal. Additional requirements are

Also, ongoing renovations on both islands means that some exhibits will be closed during this process. Log on to the Ellis Island for the most up-to-date information. Also, access will be restricted for portions of the Statue of Liberty beginning in late 2011 due to needed renovations.

To use the CityPASS ticket, present the CityPASS booklet at the "Reserve Line," this enables one to proceed directly to airport level security screening. Expect a wait time of up to 30 minutes to go through screenings.

If one wants to visit the crown, be advised that these tickets are not included with the CityPASS and sell out months ahead of time. For information about reserving crown tickets log on to Statue Cruises' website . Those who want to go to the crown, should book a crown/ferry ticket directly from Statue Cruises and then use the CityPASS ticket for a Circle Line cruise.

After visiting Lady Liberty and touring Ellis Island, use the CityPASS to visit the following New York City attractions: The Empire State Building, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) and then a ticket that allows admission to the Guggenheim Museum or Top of the Rock.

Tickets cost $79 for adults and $59 for youth ages 6-17 and are good for 9 days from the first date of use.