Apr 23 2009
Statue of Liberty
Although we’d given the kids itineraries and maps so they could follow along during our trip, circumstances changed along the way and we ended up with an opportunity to surprise them with a trip to the Statue of Liberty.
We chose to park at Liberty State Park in New Jersey rather than try to deal with traffic and parking in Manhattan. It ended up being a really good idea, as did getting up early and going during the holidays. We caught the first ferry to Ellis Island, and there were only a handful of other people on the ferry. By the time we got to the Statue of Liberty, it was busier, but still not unbearably crowded.
We had received monument passes with our tickets, which gave us the right to go in the Statue of Liberty rather than just visit the island it sits on. The websites recommend reserving tickets in advance because monument passes are free but limited in number. We were able to get them without any trouble, however, on our winter visit.
The ferry swings around Liberty Island to give passengers a good view of Lady Liberty, then docks near a small National Park Service visitor center (where we got our passports stamped).
We decided to forgo the monument part of our tickets when we saw the line, and instead spent our time circling the island on foot to see the Statue of Liberty from all directions. (I’d love to hear from someone who’s been inside the monument recently: How far up do you get to go? Are there lots of windows? Exhibits to see inside or just stairs?) The kids agreed that walking around would be more fun than standing in line for a long time.
We stopped at the busy concession area to get a snack before the ferry came to retrieve us. There are restrooms in the concession building, as well as a pressed dollar machine. (That’s right, no 51-cent pennies here; I believe it cost $3 to make a souvenir coin at the Statue of Liberty.)
Even though we didn’t go in the statue itself, it was one of the highlights of our trip. Just being there with such a famous landmark and seeing it up close was exciting for us and for the kids.
Now, whenever she sees a photo of the Statue of Liberty, our 3-year-old says, “There’s Statue Wiberty. We goed there already!” We were glad we could work that extra stop into our trip.
I remember the first time I drove to New York and looked out my window to see the Statue of Liberty! It is something you really do not forget!
Very cute! The Statue of Liberty is definately on my “to do” list. I think most of my Great Grandparents came through Ellis Island.
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Can’t wait to take my guy there. How many times do parents have to skip actually going in somewhere because of…the line? The great thing is that kids rarely mind.
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Oh, and you are all so cute. It’s nice to put a face to the stories.
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Great place. I’ve yet to see it but my sister went there after getting married.
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