Most people know that the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of our country. Not only is it a symbol, in the past, it was the first glimpse of the United States for our immigrants. Did you know that you can take a free ferry to see the Statue of Liberty? And relive the experience of many immigrants, maybe even your own ancestors?

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Statue of Liberty

Enjoy reading about the long and interesting history of this amazing landmark:

Early History Starring an Abolitionist;

In 1865, at the end of our Civil War, Laboulaye, a staunch abolitionist, and Frédéric Bartholdi, a sculptor had an after-dinner conversation in France. Laboulaye, an ardent supporter of the Union in the American Civil War, mentioned

If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort—a common work of both our nations.

Laboulaye

This inspired Bartholdi, but it took him years before he acted on this inspiration.

In 1870, Bartholdi made his first model and a year later he visited the United States. When he arrived at New York Harbor, Bartholdi noticed Bedloe’s Island (now named Liberty Island). Because new immigrants had to sail past it, he thought it would be an ideal place for his statue. As well as meeting many influential New Yorkers, Bartholdi visited President Ulysses S. Grant and learned that this site would be feasible.

Design and Symbolism of Lady Liberty: What is on Her Tablet?

Bartholdi and Laboulaye wanted to show the idea of American liberty. At the time, it was symbolized by Libertas, the goddess of freedom, which freed slaves in Ancient Rome worshipped.

Liberty also showed up on coins and in popular and civic art. So Bartholdi decided to make a statue of Liberty, like Thomas Crawford’s Statue of Freedom (1863) on top of the dome of the United States Capitol Building. He put a crown on her head with seven rays coming out of it to represent how Liberty shines over the world.

He thought of having Liberty hold a broken chain, but he thought it would be too divisive for the time (soon after the Civil War). Instead, he chose a torch, representing progress, for the figure to hold. To show connection to the Declaration of Independence, he put a tablet in her left hand that says July 4, 1776.

JULY IV MDCCLXXVI

Roman date for Independence Day on Lady Liberty’s Tablet

He still managed to include the broken chain, but it is half-hidden by her robes and difficult to see from the ground.

Construction in France by Eiffel

On his return to Paris in 1877, Bartholdi concentrated on completing the head, which was exhibited at the 1878 Paris World’s Fair. In 1880, Bartholdi hired the innovative designer and builder Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel’s design made the statue one of the earliest examples of curtain wall construction, in which the exterior of the structure is not load bearing, but is instead supported by an interior framework.

On July 2, 1884, they formally presented the completed statue to Ambassador Morton at a ceremony in Paris on July 4, 1884, and announced that the French government had agreed to pay for its transport to New York.

Meanwhile in the USA…”Why Would We Pay for a Bronze Female?!?”

In the USA, it was difficult to get enough money for the pedestal. The Panic of 1873 caused an economic crisis that lasted for a long time. People did not want to pay for the pedestal and they were not happy about the statue. After the Civil War, Americans did not like symbolic sculptures like the Liberty statue. They wanted art that showed real people and events from history.

No true patriot can countenance any such expenditures for bronze females in the present state of our finances.

The New York Times, late 1870s

Nonetheless, in 1882, people began a fundraiser to get enough money for the Statue of Liberty. They asked Emma Lazarus, a poet, to donate an original work. Emma was helping people who had escaped anti-Semitic pogroms in eastern Europe. She wrote the now-famous poem called “The New Colossus” to show her support for them. Today, this poem is on a plaque in The Statue of Liberty’s museum.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus

Statue of Liberty almost ended up in Boston!

Still, fundraising lagged. Both New York City and Congress did not want to pay for the pedestal. Because of their hesitation, other cities jumped in. For example Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Cleveland offered to pay all the cost, if the statue could be in their city. All of them were clamoring for this amazing statue.

Luckily, this is when Joseph Pullitzer, publisher of the New York World, a New York newspaper, stepped in.

Pullitzer to the rescue!

Pullitzer organized a drive to raise $100,000. If you gave any money, no matter how small the amount, he would print your name in the newspaper. The fund raiser was a great success, especially when Pullitzer started to include notes with the contributions.

– “60 cents, the result of self denial.” by “a young girl alone in the world”

– One dollar by a group of children “the money we saved to go to the circus with.”

– “five cents as a poor office boy’s mite toward the Pedestal Fun”

New York World, Pedestal Fund fundraiser

On August 11, 1885, the World announced that they raised $102,000. 120,000 donors had contributed and four fifth of the donations were less than one dollar. In a true community effort, the American people had come together to make the New York City pedestal happen!

Pedestal construction and Reassembling Lady Liberty.

After the successful fund drive and the arrival French steamer Isère, they completed the pedestal in April 1886. Immediately thereafter, reassembly of the statue began. After Lady Liberty’s skin was completed, renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, co-designer of Manhattan’s Central Park and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, supervised a cleanup of Bedloe’s Island. On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland presided over a dedication ceremony.

1984: UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1984, together with Yosemite National Park, UNESCO designated Lady Liberty as a World Heritage Site. Some of their reasoning includes:

This colossal statue is a masterpiece of the human spirit. The collaboration between the sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi and the engineer Gustave Eiffel resulted in the production of a technological wonder that brings together art and engineering in a new and powerful way.

UNESCO in 1984

In addition to this, she also is a US National Monument and a New York City Landmark. So everyone has learned to love this “expensive bronze female”. She definitely became a symbol of the USA.

Ferries to the Statue of Liberty

How Much Does the NPS ferry Cost?

The National Park Service operates ferries to the statue, with tickets ranging from $12 for a child to $24.50 for an adult. For families, this adds up fast. For example, it would be $73 for a family of two adults, two kids. Although it is cool to actually be on the island and to visit Ellis Island also, it still is a lot of money. If you choose to go that route, do purchase your ticket on line in advance or at the official ticket window. Look for the Statue Cruises ticket office inside Castle Clinton in Battery Park.

Beware of aggressive, unauthorized ticket sellers who try to sell overpriced and/or fake tickets to the Statue of Liberty near Battery Park. Avoid these scammers . Or use the free Staten Island ferry and pay nothing!

Free ferry to see the Statue of Liberty

The Staten Island Ferry costs no money and goes right past Lady Liberty! No, you don’t get to stop there, but you definitely get to see her, enjoy her and even can take selfies with her 🙂 Lots of moments to share on Instagram!

Seeing the Statue of Liberty is special for me as an immigrant, even if I didn’t come in via Ellis Island. After working for IBM, and getting a green card, I eventually naturalized as an US citizen together with two of our sons. So every time I see Lady Liberty, I feel her welcoming me to the United States of America.

Even after I naturalized, I still had never been to New York City. Finally, after I met Tom six years ago, before we even got married, he introduced me to the city. My first sighting of Liberty Enlightening the World! During that short visit, we only saw her from shore, since we didn’t have enough time to take the free ferry.

Must-Do’s on Staten Island

Once you are at Staten Island, we recommend visiting the Staten Island Borough Hall, which has amazing murals about the history of Staten Island. It is easy to find, right across the street from the ferry terminal. During office hours you can visit for free.

Seeing the murals will make Staten Island history come alive. Showing the highlights starting at the Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano meeting the natives, via the Dutch and the British, the painter does an excellent job of educating us.

Or explore some of Staten Island and eat at Enoteca Maria, the amazing place to eat where Nonnas from around the world cook your meal! They even tried to recruit me for the Dutch cuisine, but I had to disappoint them.

At the end of your visit, enjoy your free ferry ride back and take some amazing sunset pictures! And of course, don’t forget to vote so we can make sure America stays welcoming to immigrants, as The Statue of Liberty symbolizes.

Conclusion about Free Ferry to Statue of Liberty

Using the Staten Island ferry is well worth your time and doesn’t cost you any money. As an added benefit, a friend told me they have the cheapest beer in New York City. I didn’t fact check that. Yet.

Have you been to New York City or is it still on your bucket list? Did you get to see the Statue of Liberty? Did you know about the free Staten Island Ferry? Any other good free things to do in New York City?

Fun Things To Do in New York City

• Eat at a Bib Gourmand restaurant! Visit affordable Michelin rated restaurants in New York City.
• Get cheap tickets for a Broadway show. No visit to New York City is complete without seeing a show!
• Take yourself on a literary date! Lauren has lots of NYC book tours which are lots of fun. Go check it out.
• Look forward to visiting the historic Waldorf Historia New York City hotel;
• Use one of your AMEX / Hilton Free Night Certificates for an expensive hotel.

Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites You Should Visit

World Heritage Sites in the Americas

• Sian Ka’an Biosphere in Mexico: where the sun was born;
• The Everglades: both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve;
• The Statue of Liberty in New York City, USA;
• Take an Alaska cruise and visit Glacier Bay National Park;
• Go watch whales in Quebec City;
• Puerto Rico Does it Better! Old San Juan and fun facts about Puerto Rico

World Heritage Sites in Europe

• Paris around the Seine;
• Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam: right in the middle of the historic Canals District;
• Passau, Germany, often the start or end of a Danube river cruise;
• Matera, Italy: the oldest continually habituated place in the world, also called the City of Caves;

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