Continuing from our previous post…
After using the free CityPasses and starting the morning off at the Empire State Building, we caught the subway downtown to Battery Park and caught the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. The ferry was full with tourists and schoolkids on field trips. I smiled as I flashed back to all my adventures around the world. This could have been Rome or Barcelona or London…
Again, the CityPass gets you to the Statue of Liberty but to see the monuments and museum inside the base of the statue, you need to buy that SEPARATE ticket BEFORE you get to Liberty Island. This is very important. If you don’t buy the tickets back at Battery Park, you are out of luck. They don’t sell them on Liberty Island. I don’t quite understand that, but there are signs clearly to that effect everywhere.
So we walked around, took some pictures with us and Lady Liberty and then had lunch. $22US for both of. I’m not sure if I should feel good that it wasn’t more or that we got completely ripped off.
One note: There are plans to open the crown of Lady Liberty this coming July 4th since being closed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. One good reason to head there this summer.
The same ferry runs a circuit between Battery Park, Liberty Island and Ellis Island, so we caught it and headed over to Ellis Island. The main exhibition floor is huge and has all kinds of stats on immigration to America.
The hallways surrounding the main halls are filled with rooms that have smaller exhibits.
I thought of Ellis Island as being an entry point for mostly people of European descent. But there were many mentions of folks from Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Some of the exhibits also talked about the slave trade to the Americas. I was glad to see that mentioned prominently there.
Ellis Island has so many exhibits and is so large you can easily spend a day there. Can you imagine packing all your possessions and taking yourself and maybe your family overseas to a new country?
Once back on the island of Manhattan, my Dad and I had once last stop: The Raging Bull of Wall Street.
We had a great time with CityPass. A great value and a great way to see the big (any) city on a budget!
Related posts:
- The Statue of Liberty Opens Her Arms (and Crown) Again
- Having a Problem Saving Money to Travel? – The Solution For You
- Check Out My Learning Annex Classes on Saving Money When Traveling
- Best Travel Deals and News – July 5, 2011 – How to Avoid Travel Scams, Scorpion on a Plane, Babies Banned from First Class, Travel to Cuba Saving Money in New York City
- How to Explore NYC and Cut All the Lines!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have lived in NY for over 15 years and I have yet to make it to see the Statue of Liberty/ Ellis Island. Thanks for the reminder to keep it on my list!
@Suzanne
It would be a great spring or early summer trip day trip. By yourself, with a friend or group you could have a good time in the city without being ‘in’ the city.
It was cold and rainy when we went but we still had a great time. Don’t forget to get that CityPass and explore.