Where to See the Statue of Liberty for Free From Manhattan

The ferry is the better free view

The Staten Island Ferry costs nothing in either direction and runs from the Whitehall terminal at the bottom of Manhattan, next to Battery Park. It crosses the harbor with the statue off the starboard side on the way out, so stand on the right-hand deck heading to Staten Island and swap sides for the trip back. You don't have to do anything on the other end. Plenty of people walk off, walk round, and get straight back on.

The railing at Battery Park costs nothing either

If you don't want to board a boat, the harbor esplanade on the south side of Battery Park gives you the statue across the water. It's a long view rather than a close one. Late afternoon is better, with the light behind you instead of in your eyes, and it pairs well with the rest of the park if you're already down there.

What isn't free

Setting foot on Liberty Island or Ellis Island means a Statue Cruises ticket, and those boats leave from Castle Clinton inside Battery Park, where the ticket booth is. They run every day of the year except December 25, with hours that change by season. That's the only authorised way onto the islands, so if a seller on the street offers you something cheaper, it isn't that.

Getting down there from us

It's about a twenty-minute walk south from our door on John Street, straight down Broadway. Fulton Street station is roughly three minutes from us if you'd rather ride. Either way it's an easy morning, and you can be back for lunch.