Special Access Statue of Liberty Pedestal Tour with Ellis Island

Your day begins early in the AM when, after meeting your guide and small group, you'll hop on one of the first ferries heading to Liberty Island. The early morning departure may feel like a struggle for some, but trust us - it's the best way to beat the worst of the crowds and be one of the first groups to reach the Statue!

Once on Liberty Island your fully-guided tour of Lady Liberty begins. Prepare to discover fascinating facts about how the statue came to be (including how the project almost coming to ruin numerous times), with an expert guide who knows how to separate fact from fiction. You'll also learn some of the most interesting tales to have come from the surrounding New York Harbor, before making your way to the statue to take in the views for yourself.

Access to the Statue of Liberty Pedestal is becoming increasingly rare, but with your special access tickets you're guarateed entry to the area. Once inside it's time to climb the Pedestal steps. Prepare yourself! It's 215 steps to the top - but it's worth every one! As you climb, you'll be able to see the interior metalwork of the Statue, before emerging at the top for arguably the best view in NYC. From here, you'll get panoramic views back over the city, its bridges, and the nearby Ellis Island and Governor's Island.

An exploration inside the the new state-of-the-art Statue of Liberty Museum is a must for all visitors to Liberty Island, so be sure to take time to take in all the incredible artifacts - including Lady Liberty's original torch - before you depart!

For the second part of the tour you'll take the ferry with your guide over to Ellis Island for a deep dive into the history of American immigration.

Ellis Island was the first place that some 12 million European immigrants set foot on American soil, though as you'll learn on your tour, not all of them went further. Hear stories of second chances and heartbreak, new lives begun and families torn apart, as you see famous parts of Ellis Island's processing centers (now a museum) like the 'Stairs of Separation' and the famous 'Kissing Post'.

When your tour ends, you're free to hop back on the ferry with your guide to return to Battery Park, or you can continue your exploration of Ellis Island. The museum here is one of the most interesting in NYC; extremely well-curated with video and audio content and interactive displays. It also includes a special section to help visitors locate the records of any ancestors that were processed here.