See The Statue Of Liberty For FREE!
A RIDE ON THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY
When you think of New York - a few symbols might pop into your head. The Empire State, Central Park, a slice of Pizza, and of course the Statue of Liberty! On my last two trips to the city, seeing Lady Liberty has felt like a far out dream. For one, we always come in March and it is FREEZING. So anything by the water just sounds like a nightmare. And two, we are very frugal travelers. Paying $25+ each is just not in the New York budget right now! In doing my free research - I stumbled upon the Staten Island Ferry!
what is the staten island ferry?
My best analogy for this boat is New York’s Subway on Water! This service is completely FREE to all who board. It is used as transportation from Manhattan to Staten Island. The boats run all day long from 12 am to 11:30 pm running every 30 minutes. Here is a great time table and more information on the ride. This ride is also popular for seeing Lady Liberty and Ellis Island!
You Promise i’ll see miss liberty?
As with anything in life - there is no guarantee. But I can assure you, if you are on the boat to Staten Island on the right hand side (when getting on) of the boat, either on the open top deck or by a window below, you WILL see lady liberty. Obviously a paid tour will take you right by her, and some allow you to get off and explore the grounds! But if you are looking to save money in the city then I cannot recommend this enough.
where is it at?
Getting on and off the Ferry is pretty simple! If you are starting in Manhattan, you will get on the Ferry at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in lower East Manhattan. This is the same Terminal you will catch all other paid Statue of Liberty Tours. Inside, go up the escalator and you will see a large lobby. People will be crowded around the Door and there will be an electronic Welcome sign (pictured above). Once the doors open you can load the ferry where ever you choose. There is an upper and lower deck. You can freely move around once on the boat as well.
Address: 4 Whitehall St, New York, NY 10004
Website: https://www.siferry.com/
Hours: 24 hours a day
stay strong at the terminal…
While walking up to catch the Ferry Rashawn and I were bombarded with Sales Men trying to talk us into buying a ticket. He told us these lies:
The Staten Island Ferry will take 3 Hours Round Trip
You will be to far away from the Statue to see it
That he had the best deal for seeing The Statue of Liberty
In this moment I was feeling SO nervous, because I had never taken the ferry, I didn’t know if what he was saying was true! We had only paid for two hours of parking - because my research led me to believe we would just be gone for 1 hour! Online the Ferry’s run every 30 minutes and inform you that each way is about a 25 minute journey. In the end I stayed firm in my research and we just went for it - debunking EVERYTHING that man said!!! So if you are approached, jus politely decline. They will try to talk you out of it, but it is ONLY because they want your money.
Once you are on Staten Island you can get off an explore, or catch the next boat back to the city! Here is the return times, and you will be located at the St. George Terminal. There is a 10-15 minute grace period before the next ferry, so Rashawn and I took this time to get a fresh pretzel and a beer! There are lots of snack options and shops located at the Terminal.
One day I hope to come back with our kids and do a real Statue Tour. But for now, I am forever thankful I got to see this iconic statue.
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New York City is truly a place like no other. You can find just about every culture represented, the most unique experiences, and some of the best pizza in America. People wait and dream their whole lives to explore this city. So when you get your chance to walk this concrete jungle make sure you add these 10 Experiences in New York City to your list!