Can you go to the balcony on the Statue of Liberty?
While you can go all the way into the crown of Lady Liberty and look down on Upper New York Bay, visitors can no longer go into the torch balcony as they once could and the reason is fascinating.
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Crown tickets allow visitors to access the crown of the statue, which includes a walk up 162 steps from the feet of the statue to the crown. There is no elevator access to the crown.
Visitors can climb the stairs through the statue's pedestal with balcony access. Reserve today! Join us for an immersive experience through the museum on Liberty Island.
Visitors to Liberty Island can tour the grounds and, with appropriate advanced tickets, visit the Statue's pedestal and crown. Visitors can also explore the Statue of Liberty Museum.
Those with reservations to the pedestal, the stone base that the Statue of Liberty sits on top of, must secure the following items in a locker: ALL FOOD & DRINKS (except water in a clear plastic bottle) ALL BACKPACK-STYLE BAGS (including over-sized bags, drawstring bags, and backpack purses) Strollers.
It's worth the visit but you have to be fit to climb up those 315 steps, in a tiny staircase at the end. Just be aware of the security: they do not allow you to take anything with you except your tickets and your camera, if you go to the crown.
The torch has been closed since the Black Tom explosion of July 30, 1916, which was one of the largest acts of sabotage to our nation prior to the event of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Many people think they've been there and confuse it with climbing a spiral staircase which goes to the crown.
Statue of Liberty - a room inside the flameYes, you read that right! There is a secret room here, which you unfortunately can't access. In 1916, the room in the torch had to be closed after an explosion (which was an act of sabotage committed by German agents during World War I).
Each ticket provides a different level of access to the landmark. If you want to go inside the Statue of Liberty, you must buy a Pedestal Access or Crown Access ticket. General Admission tickets do not get you access inside the statue.
Standing proud, exposed to the elements, the statue has to withstand around 600 lightning bolts every year and, in high winds, the torch can sway by about 5 inches side-to-side!
In the early days, the military opened the torch up to V.I.P. visitors, who would climb a 40-foot ladder into it and gaze onto New York Harbor from its ornate balcony.
Other highlights include seeing the tablet from above, an up-close view of the torch, and being able to feel the thickness of the copper statue. Anyone visiting the crown must be able to walk up at least 162 steps on a confined spiral staircase.
The statue's crown has been off-limits since March 16 of 2020, when the National Park Service halted all public operations at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island because of the pandemic. Sections of the landmark have gradually reopened since then; the pedestal deck reopened in July of 2021.
Tucked away underneath the 225-ton Lady lays a hidden box. Inside you'll find a copy of the U.S Constitution, a picture of Bartholdi, and 20 bronze medals. But why is it there? No one really knows the answer to this, but it may be a time capsule to commemorate the unveiling.
After visiting the Pedestal and the Statue of Liberty Museum, the climb to the Crown is up a narrow spiral staircase of more than 300 steps (the equivalent of 27 floors) that crosses the entire body of the Statue of Liberty.
With 31 tons of copper and 125 tons of steel, the scrap value of the Statue of Liberty comes in at $227,610, far below two of the most expensive statues in the world. But that's what happens when you use millions worth of gold and bronze.
The Statue of Liberty holds a torch and a tablet.The tablet has the date of the American Declaration of Independence inscribed in Roman numerals, JULY IV MDCCLXXVI.
Inevitably weekends are busier than mid-week, but it really is all relative and there is truly no quiet time to visit the statue. Our recommendation is to catch the first ferry departures Tuesday–Thursday if you really want to beat the crowds and get inside the museums ahead of anybody else.
Without proper planning, many people end their visit much later than expected, so make sure to leave plenty of time to see everything without feeling rushed. At a minimum, you should budget two hours for the Statue of Liberty and an additional hour if you plan to visit Ellis Island as well.
Without proper planning, many people end their visit much later than expected, so make sure to leave plenty of time to see everything without feeling rushed. At a minimum, you should budget two hours for the Statue of Liberty and an additional hour if you plan to visit Ellis Island as well.