France's copper gift in New York Harbor and the island station where millions of immigrants first set foot in America
The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States that has become a worldwide symbol of freedom and democracy. Designed by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, with an iron framework engineered by Gustave Eiffel, the copper figure rises about 46 metres from base to torch and some 93 metres above the ground including its pedestal. Visitors can walk the island, climb to the pedestal balcony or, with a reservation, continue up a spiral stair into the crown.
A short ferry hop away is Ellis Island, where immigrants underwent medical and legal inspections before entering the country. Its grand Main Immigration Building, opened in 1900, now houses the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, and the vaulted Registry Room, also called the Great Hall, still holds the inspectors' desks. The National Park Service describes the two islands as one park, and a single ferry ticket includes both.
President Grover Cleveland dedicated the statue on 28 October 1886, on a pedestal designed by Richard Morris Hunt. It was made a National Monument in 1924 and has been cared for by the National Park Service since 1933. Its copper skin was originally a dull brown, and by 1906 a green patina covered it entirely, which now protects the metal. A major restoration ran from 1984 to 1986, when the original torch was replaced by a replica; the original now stands in the Statue of Liberty Museum, which opened on Liberty Island in 2019. UNESCO inscribed the statue as a World Heritage Site in 1984.
Ellis Island was the country's busiest immigration station during its peak years from 1892 to 1924, when more than 12 million people were processed there. The island was enlarged from a couple of acres to more than 30 to hold the inspection station and a hospital complex. Emma Lazarus's sonnet The New Colossus, with its call for the 'huddled masses yearning to breathe free', is displayed on a plaque in the statue's museum.
For many American families Ellis Island is personal: it is where a parent or grandparent first arrived, and the museum is a memorial to everyone who pursued a new life in the country. The statue itself is one of New York's defining images, seen daily by commuters and visitors on the harbour, and the Lazarus poem has made it a lasting symbol of welcome for immigrants.
A visit starts with airport-style security screening at The Battery in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey, then a ferry run by Statue City Cruises, the only authorised ticket seller. On Liberty Island people walk around the statue's base, visit the museum and, with the right ticket, go up to the pedestal balcony or the crown. Ferries continue to Ellis Island, where the Main Immigration Building tells the story of the people who arrived there. Ranger tours are free, audio tours are included, and there is a Junior Ranger programme for children. The NPS recommends taking an early ferry to see both islands in one day.
The monument can be visited all year, but security queues can last an hour or more at peak times, including summer, weekends and holidays. Spring and autumn weekdays are usually quieter, and an early ferry gives the best chance of seeing both islands without rushing.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
The Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan is the city departure point, next to the Whitehall Terminal for the free Staten Island Ferry. Liberty State Park in Jersey City is the New Jersey departure point. Central Park, Times Square and the rest of New York City are a short subway ride from The Battery.
United States · 9 nights4★ HotelUnited States · 8 nights3★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
