There are some touristic things that get even New Yorkers excited. Climbing over 3oo steps to see the Statue of Liberty crown view is one of them, as we discovered yesterday. On the first day that tickets were available to book in March, we reserved tickets for over three months later on the first available date to climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
From the base of Fort Wood (atop which the pedestal sits) to the very top is 377 steps, of which the 146 steps from pedestal to crown are on a narrow, double spiral staircase. The steps are only 18 inches in width and the staircase has a head clearance of six feet.
One of the most striking things, if you have enough breath to look around while ascending to the top, is the inner structure of the Statue of Liberty, designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Gustav Eiffel, the namesake and designer of the famous Eiffel Tower. The statue has an iron skeleton covered in copper, 3/32 of an inch thick.
The crown features a row of windows that open, although the National Park Service staff decides which open at a given time. For good reasons, visitors cannot stick cameras and such outside of the open windows. From these windows, you can catch the tablet Lady Liberty holds that reads JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (or July 4, 17766) and her hair curls, not something usually noticed, as well as Fort Wood, atop which the pedestal sits on.
The views from the crown are stunning, and face towards Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, as well as Staten Island and the Verrazano Bridge.
If you look up while in the crown, you’ll see the hair of Lady Liberty (and can touch it!).
Here is the staircase from the landing of the crown heading down:
There’s an emergency elevator that goes up to the crown, just in case:
About 500 people climb up the staircase to see the Statue of Liberty crown view daily and a visit requires advance reservation, bookable online only through Statue Cruises. Only four tickets can be reserved at a time, and the names of the guests must be inputted upon reservation, with IDs checked when tickets are picked up. The tickets are for a specific time and date. You can only bring up camera, water, phones and necessary medication, all by hand or in pockets, as you can’t bring bags up. There are lockers, available for $2 each, before you enter security inside the statue.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
