Statue of Liberty ferry schedule and guide

Statue City Cruises runs the Statue of Liberty ferry, a passenger ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island from Battery Park and Liberty State Park. Battery Park is in Lower Manhattan, and Liberty State Park is in Jersey City, New Jersey. Statue City Cruises is the only ferry the National Park Service (NPS) allows to land visitors at the islands. Every rider passes airport-style security screening before boarding.

Statue of Liberty ferry schedule Fall 2026

Each Statue of Liberty ferry runs a loop. Ferries from Battery Park call at Liberty Island first, then Ellis Island, then return to Battery Park. Ferries from Liberty State Park call at Ellis Island first, then Liberty Island, then return to Liberty State Park. Riders who want only one island stay on board until the ferry reaches it.

The departures from Liberty Island and Ellis Island are the boats back to Battery Park and Liberty State Park, including the last boats of the day. Statue City Cruises runs every day except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, and it sails rain or shine.

Statue of Liberty pedestal and crown reservations

Entry to the pedestal and the crown of the Statue of Liberty takes a Pedestal Reserve or Crown Reserve ticket. Both tickets are limited and sold online only through Statue City Cruises, and both include the round-trip ferry. The NPS advises booking them well in advance, since they often sell out.

The climb from the feet of the statue to the crown is 162 steps, and the crown has no elevator. Crown visitors must be at least 42 inches tall and able to climb the stairs on their own. Statue City Cruises takes up to 4 crown tickets per order and does not sell same-day crown tickets. Each crown visitor brings a government-issued photo ID that matches the name on the ticket.

Crown ticket holders pick up a crown wristband at the ticket office in Castle Clinton or the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal before security screening. Backpacks, food and drinks are not allowed inside the statue, and pedestal visitors store them in lockers before entering the statue. Service animals are welcome everywhere in the park except the crown.

Statue of Liberty ferry security screening

Every Statue of Liberty ferry rider passes airport-style security screening before boarding at Battery Park or Liberty State Park. The time printed on a ticket is the time to join the screening line, not a ferry departure time. After screening, riders board the next ferry.

The screening facilities at Battery Park and Liberty State Park have no lockers. Suitcases, carry-on luggage and other large bags are not allowed on the ferries or the islands. Drones, scooters, skateboards, knives, pepper spray and markers are among the prohibited items. Riders may bring their own food in sealed packaging, but not coolers.

Statue of Liberty ferry details

Battery Park ferry terminal subway and directions

The Statue of Liberty ferry leaves Manhattan from Battery Park, at the southern tip of Lower Manhattan. The Statue City Cruises ticket office is inside Castle Clinton National Monument, the round stone fort near the waterfront. The security screening facility and the ferry dock are behind Castle Clinton, on the waterfront side of Battery Park. The NPS gives 1 Battery Place, New York, NY 10004 as the address for GPS.

The NPS and Statue City Cruises recommend public transportation to Battery Park. The 1 train stops at South Ferry station, the 4 and 5 trains stop at Bowling Green station, and the R and W trains stop at Whitehall Street station. MTA M15 buses end at South Ferry. The Staten Island Ferry arrives at the Whitehall ferry terminal, a short walk from Battery Park.

Battery Park has no designated parking. Private lots charge a fee along West Street and along South Street under the FDR Drive. The closest metered spaces are on Battery Place, and Castle Clinton has accessible restrooms.

Liberty State Park ferry terminal parking and directions

The Statue of Liberty ferry leaves New Jersey from the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) Terminal in Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305. The Statue City Cruises ticket office is inside the CRRNJ Terminal, and the ferry dock is a short walk away. The CRRNJ Terminal has accessible restrooms.

Drivers take Exit 14B of the New Jersey Turnpike or Interstate 78 and follow signs for Liberty State Park. Liberty State Park charges a fee for parking in Lot 8, on the right of Audrey Zapp Drive near the ferry. Liberty State Park has designated spaces for drivers with official placards, and level walkways lead to the ferry.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail trains stop at Liberty State Park station, about 1 mile from the CRRNJ Terminal along Audrey Zapp Drive. The light rail connects with PATH trains at Hoboken Terminal, Newport and Exchange Place. The seasonal Liberty Landing Ferry runs from Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan to Liberty Landing Marina, a walk from the CRRNJ Terminal.

When the Statue of Liberty ferry is busiest

Security screening lines are longest in summer, on weekends and on holidays. Statue City Cruises says screening at Liberty State Park is often faster than at Battery Park, and Liberty State Park has more parking. Riders who want to visit both islands take an early ferry, as the NPS recommends. Statue City Cruises warns that a mid-afternoon screening time leaves enough time for one island only.

A ticket names its departure point, but riders can ride back to either Battery Park or Liberty State Park. Riders who get off on the other side cannot board again to return to the side they started from. Statue City Cruises gives no refunds for bad weather.

Statue of Liberty ferry FAQs

More New York City ferries

• Staten Island Ferry
• St. George ferry (NYC Ferry)
• South Brooklyn ferry
• East River ferry