Old Glory flutters off the back of the ferry in view of The Statue of Liberty and New York City.
Statue of Liberty, NY
Ande Flagg
From the port she appeared small and unimpressive. That quickly changed once we boarded the ferry and headed toward our target.
“Look boys! There she is!” I exclaimed, pointing to my favorite green lady otherwise known as the Statue of Liberty.
My body hummed with energy and excitement. I finally got to show my men my favorite thing about New York City—a statue that’s graced the harbor since 1896.
Lady Liberty grew larger and larger with every passing moment as the ferry propelled us across the harbor. Details of her robes and her iconic face slowly filled our vision. As I compulsively snapped photos, she dominated more and more of the frame. Eventually we all had to tip our heads up to take in her enormous size.
This tall, stately, and resolute symbol of freedom and democracy has greeted millions of people that came America looking for a new life. And now the Flagg family got to explore this American icon. But we almost missed it!
The Best Laid Plans…
In June 2019 we moved to West Point, aka the United States Military Academy (USMA), just up the Hudson River in New York. We spent the first couple of months visiting family who lived in neighboring states and exploring Boston and Rhode Island (my 49th state to visit out of 50). Perhaps I’ll share here when I make it to my 50th state!
We did not go to New York City immediately because we thought, “We’re here for three years! We have plenty of time to see all of NYC in a relaxed manner.”
Truthfully my husband and I prefer nature and calm, not the big city. The hustle and bustle of traffic, rude people, and the unappealing smells of urine in the subways caused us to stay away from the Big Apple.
Plus, the Army Corps of Engineers invited Tim and me on a boat tour of New York City. We saw Lady Liberty from several vantage points.
The Statue of Liberty welcomes visitors on a bright clear day.
We thought we could take the boys to see her later in the year. But that year, unfortunately 2020, dripped by in a COVID-19 fizzle.
Last Minute Squeeze
Alas, the Spring of 2022 rolled around along with PCS orders. We still hadn’t visited the beautiful colossus. So, we made time on a cloud-free Sunday afternoon a week before Memorial Day.
I wouldn’t change a thing about our trip! From my point of view, the weather was warm. My men say it was hot. That New York spring had been unpredictable, so anything warmer than 65 degrees felt warm. And yet, the breeze off the New York Harbor made it delightful. Another bonus: those cool spring temperatures and breezes kept the area smelling sweet – despite the urban environment.
Catching the Ferry
That day we approached the Statue of Liberty ferry from Liberty State Park on the New Jersey side of the harbor. I researched how to get to the island and found two places to start: New Jersey or New York City. We opted to stay out of the city proper. Bonus, the New Jersey ferry is closer to USMA than the NYC ferry. Easy decision.
Once we passed through security, we followed the serpentine lines to the ferry and boarded. First stop-- Ellis Island. Our tickets granted us admission to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration in addition to the statue. But we arrived a week too early for the summer extended hours.
So, we prioritized the statue. We wouldn’t have had enough time to see all of Liberty Island, Ellis Island and still make it back to the ferry before it stopped running.
Even though we skipped the Ellis Island stop, we still floated past the magnificent building that greeted millions of immigrants starting their new lives in a new country.
From the ferry Old Glory and The Statue of Liberty team up to provide a spectacular view.
Our ferry continued on toward Liberty Island, treating us to one-in-a-million views of “Liberty Enlightening the World”, the official name of the Statute of Liberty.
Once we got to the dock, we hurried in to the visitor center and regrouped. We decided on our strategy for touring Lady Liberty’s pedestal and walking the surrounding grounds. Then we took off on our adventure!
Climbing to the Top
We passed through another security check point before reaching our first stop, the Statue of Liberty’s base!
The last time I visited her in the summer of 1987, I was a curious 11-year-old girl. I expected the inside of the pedestal to look the same as 25 years ago. Silly!
Instead, it was completely empty. In 1987 I remembered the original torch on display in the middle of the floor as we awaited the slow travel up the stairs to the crown. The torch and the stairs to the crown were missing this time.
Sadly, the crown was not open to the public due to renovations. But we could visit the top of the pedestal. There were two ways to go – stairs or elevator. We chose the 215 steps, about 10 stories of climbing, to reach the top. Since the crowds were small, it took us about five minutes to get to the top deck.
The boys try turning a very large bolt in Lady Liberty’s pedestal.
Along the way we also saw large screws and other interior workings of the statue’s base that helped us understand how she successfully weathered the New York harbor elements all these years. I also saw where the steps to the crown would have started before renovators removed them.
Next, we followed a light that seemed to beckon to us to the outside of the pedestal. We exited through the door, and there was New York City! It looked close enough to touch despite the distance that separated us.
She’s Enormous!
We then turned around and looked up, way up. We saw the tails of Liberty’s robes and observed the immensity of her size. Even though we only saw the hem of her robes, she inspired awe.
We got a very close look at Liberty’s robes, the tablet, torch and the points of her crown from the top of the pedestal.
I’d definitely recommend walking all the way around the pedestal as we did. Each area provided a unique view of the city (or New Jersey) and highlighted different details of the gigantic statue.
Next, we headed down to the outside lower level of the pedestal. As we descended, we realized that we could see the front of Liberty up close and personal. We took copious photos.
Beacon of Freedom
Remember I mentioned another torch, the one I saw 25 years ago in the entryway? A separate building across the small island from the statue now houses the old flames.
The building housing Liberty’s original torch provides a spectacular view of what’s old and new at this landmark.
As we approached the building, we saw that we could walk up to the roof. The top provided another great vantage point to look back at “our green gal” to admire her some more.
Even her back view stunned. The immense detail the artisans added to the statue boggles the mind. Even the folds in her robe stood out. An in-person visit definitely created a greater appreciation for the artists.
The building with the torch had a few more exhibits, but the torch obviously stole the show. To stand right next to it gave us another reference for Lady Liberty’s true size. Of course, the life-size model of Lady’s face tempted #2 boy to tickle her nose. BOYS!
What 11-year-old boy could resist tickling Lady Liberty’s nose?
Once we finished meandering through the exhibits and enjoying the beautiful day on Liberty Island, we headed back to the ferry. The ride back was just as picture perfect as the ride to see the Lovely Lady.
We watched as she slowly became smaller, her face fading and her robes melted away. Eventually she was too small for us to distinguish any details. As we disembarked from the boat, Lady Liberty faded away completely. I felt joyfully satisfied. I got to see my favorite landmark in New York City and I shared it with my family.
Closest Military Installations
MWR Locations Nearby
If You Go:
- We ordered our tickets online in advance, which I recommend. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known to arrive at the parking lot about an hour before our appointment time. While there is plenty of parking, there is a bit of a walk to get to the security check point for the ferry.
- The ferry company is a government contractor, so the website is not from the National Park Service.
- Give yourself plenty of time to park and walk to the docks. We arrived at the Liberty State Park parking lot and followed the signs for the Statue of Liberty Ferry. Then we suddenly weren’t sure where to go. A passerby pointed us in the right direction.
- We finally saw the ferry pulling into dock.We started in that direction and followed our noses (and the serpentine for the cue) to the start where security checked people. The directions for getting to the dock are not very clear.
A reproduction gave us a chance to see just how big Liberty’s face really is.
- The visitor center on Liberty Island has restrooms, a souvenir shop and a restaurant. The restaurant is in a building adjacent to the main building. I suggest bringing your own water bottle. We ran out of water and bought water which ended up costing a few dollars each. There is also a snack bar on the ferry, so there are plenty of opportunities to eat should you need food.
- The National Park Service (NPS) requires people going through NPS interior areas to wear masks. The masks were only required in security and in the pedestal of the statue. Check the park website for policy updates and other information.
- This is a very family friendly trip. The walk around the island is self-paced and on a pretty day there is plenty of outside space to let your littles run around to blow off steam.