"The CROWNING visit to Lady Liberty" New York City Travelogue by 850prc

On our recent trip to NYC, we wanted to climb into Lady Liberty's crown out at the statue of Liberty. The crown has been closed for quite a long time, following the 9/11 attacks, and only recently reopened. Getting tix does require some planning ahead of time. (please see my separate tip regarding the Statue of Liberty). Getting a same-day ticket to visit just Liberty Island and Ellis Island is actually pretty easy. But getting a same-day ticket into the crowns is probably impossible. You can't even buy someone else's ticket... they sell the tix to a specific person, and said person has to present ID several times during the process. It's a lot like boarding an airplane.

We bought our tix four months in advance. The line into the crown is not really long - they space out your times for visiting via the ticketing, and they only allow 10 people at a time to make the climb. It's actually pretty civilized, compared to the hordes down around the base of the monument. Lots of security, as you'd guess.

Anyway, here is our "crowning" moment, our family posing inside the Statue of Liberty's crown. I am actually "doing" her torch with my left hand, in case you're wondering what I am doing.

My daughter, who sometimes has balance issues, was very very proud of making the climb successfully. We were very proud of her, too.

If you're going to NYC in the future and the crown is to your liking, get to work NOW getting ticketed.

End of climb joy.

Here's some euphoria for you. Look at the smile on Sara's face as she's just completed her climb. I think that she seriously doubted she could make it - again, she has balance issues and steep and narrow stairs can be a problem. But by golly, there she is. A moment to remember and forever smile about.

July 4, 1776

Here's another view that you only get from up above. This is the tablet being held in Lady Liberty's right hand. It reads "July 4, 1776" in Roman numerals, signifying the birthdate of the United States and her very special freedoms.

This way to the top.

Here is the staircase, leading up to the top of the statue. It DOES look a bit like a corkscrew, and it gets more and more steep and narrow the higher you get. Speaking of corkscrews, YOU will be seriously SCREWED if you haven't paced yourself and you make the climb on a warm day. There IS no air-conditioning and there are no elevators.

Crown staircase base security station.

Here are two of the lucky crown ticket holders checking in at security. This is at the bottom of the crown staircase, and it represents the next to last time that you have to show your ticket and ID. At this point, they will also insure that you are wearing your "crown access" armband, which has to be visible at all times.

The task at hand, if you're about to climb

Here's looking up to Lady Liberty, looking all the way up from her very base.

Lady Liberty's cornerstone, ca 1886

Here's the opposite end of Lady Liberty. This is her cornerstone, laid originally in 1886 and rededicated as the cornerstone of the "museum of immigration" in 1962.

Departing Battery Park for Liberty Island

Here's part of the ferry crowd as we departed Battery Park for the statue. As you see, there are lots and lots of folks, and they'll enjoy their visit no doubt. But - crown access tickets are special, and very few of these folks probably were ticketed for making the climb. You have to work early - a month or two at least - to gain crown access tickets.