Everything You Should Know About Climbing into the Statue of Liberty's Crown

Are you looking for an epic and unique view of Manhattan? Did you know that people are able to climb into the crown of the Statue of Liberty? This is something that makes a great family activity when visiting New York City.

Our family has been able to climb into Lady Liberty’s crown a couple of times and we’ve learned some things that makes the process smooth and easy. With a little planning ahead, you can create one of your family’s most memorable New York City Experiences.

The first time we did this it was unanimous that climbing in the Statue of Liberty’s crown was the favorite thing we did on the entire trip!

Plan ahead. Tickets to the crown sell out 3 - 4 months in advance during the busy seasons. As soon as you know you will be making a trip to NYC, buy your crown tickets. Tickets become available for booking six months ahead of time.

The website says that you can only buy 4 tickets per household. This is misleading because what they mean in that you can only buy 4 tickets per credit card. If you have more than four people in your family, don’t despair! Just have each adult buy the needed number of tickets and you will be all set. Make sure you book them for the same day & time.

Note: Guests need to be at least four feet tall and able to climb on their own. This is not an activity for small children. We’ve done it with a 5-year-old who did great, but you need to judge your own child’s temperament.

Ticket Pick Up: Crown tickets will not be mailed and there is not a digital ticket. Once you arrive at Liberty Park (in NJ) or Battery Park (in NY) head to the ticket will-call window. Have your ticket confirmation, the ID of each adult, and the credit card you used to purchase the tickets ready. You will receive bracelets and paper tickets here.

Ferry Ride: After you pick up your tickets, get in line for the security screening and then board the ferry. The security is similar to airport screening except that they let you keep your shoes on and bring water through.

Tip: When you board the ferry, head to the rooftop and stand on the right side of the boat (starboard) at the railing. This will be the best spot to stand and get pictures with the statue in the background. You may be tempted to sit and relax on the benches but you may be sorry when many other tourists are in the background of your photos and blocking the statue.

Lockers: After you exit the ferry, head to the base of the statue. You will see signs directing you to the pedestal/crown. Before entering the building, place all bags, purses, and anything else you don’t want to carry in a locker. It’s only 25 cents and you get the quarter back when you return the key.

You are only allowed to take up a camera, water bottle, and necessary medication. We packed things in lockers but did see some people with smaller purses climbing so I’m not sure how well enforced these rules are. Honestly, I think it’s nice to not have to worry about extra items will climbing and I recommend leaving things in the lockers.

Security #2: Enter the base of the statue for another security screening. Yes, you get to do this again!

Bathrooms: After passing security, take a pit stop in the bathrooms since there will not be any once you start climbing the stairs in the statue.

Start the climb: The climb is 393 steps which is about like climbing a 27-story tall building. Adults and kids in our group all did just fine but if you have someone who is not in good physical condition, they may want to sit this one out.

The first 200+ steps will take you up the pedestal to the feet of the statue. There staircases a quite wide and allow for plenty of space and movement.

Once you reach the top of the pedestal, you can go outside and take a look around. It’s a great place to take a little breather and regain a bit of energy for the final push to the top of the crown.

When you are ready to climb to the crown, you will need to have a park ranger check your bracelet to confirm that you have crown access. Being inside of the statue is magnificent. You can see all of the ripples of the statue that you can also see on the outside.

The staircase is a narrow place with two staircases wrapping around each other. One staircase is for the guests climbing up and the other is for the guests going down. It’s a good thing that there isn’t cross-traffic on these stairs because they are very narrow and there is only room for one person.

Climb the spiral staircase to the top of the statue and you will emerge in a little room up in the crown. You can look out the little windows and see some unique views of NYC and the bay. They really aren’t the best views as the windows are small but it is definitely unique and worth the climb.

In the Crown: You can spend a few minutes looking out of the crown but a ranger will keep you moving and ask you to head on down the stairs. They only allow 6 - 8 people in the crown at a time so they like to let people linger for very long.

Climb Down: The climb down is much easier than the climb up! Just take your time and do not feel rushed. It is a steep and narrow staircase so use caution and hold on to the handrails.

Plan to spend 4 - 5 hours with the security, ferry, the climb plus extra time for walking all around the outside of the statue. Also, don’t miss the Statue of Liberty Museum right by the statue. It just opened in 2019 and it really fabulous.

Helpful Websites

National Park Page for the Statue of Liberty Crown

Statue Cruises: select ticket option & purchase here