Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry: audio guide included

Hear the stories traditional tours skip over

You board the ferry at Battery Park with round-trip tickets and access to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island, plus entry to both museums and two audio guides—the official NPS version and an exclusive web-based companion track with deeper historical narratives. You move at your own pace through the Statue of Liberty Museum, the island grounds, the Great Hall on Ellis Island, and the National Museum of Immigration, listening to stories of labor, protest, and immigration that reshape what these landmarks mean. The whole experience is wheelchair accessible, and you're back at Battery Park whenever you choose to leave.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

• Take ferry from Battery Park
• Explore Liberty Island grounds
• Visit Statue of Liberty Museum
• See original torch and exhibits
• Take ferry to Ellis Island
• Walk Ellis Island grounds and Great Hall
• Visit Ellis Island National Museum
• Explore immigration exhibits and artifacts

The Experience

The ferry is already loading when you arrive at Battery Park—locals and first-timers mixing in the crowd, everyone craning to see the statue across the water. You've got your round-trip ticket and a phone with the audio guide queued up, which means the next few hours belong entirely to you. No group pace, no waiting for stragglers, just the two islands and whatever stories pull you in first.

Liberty Island comes first. The grounds open up around you, and the statue rises exactly as it does in every photograph you've ever seen, except you're standing under it now, not looking at it on a screen. The Statue of Liberty Museum sits inside the pedestal—the original torch is there, along with the design sketches and the immigrant labor records that most people skip. The audio guide doesn't just name things; it layers in the suffragists who gathered here in the 1910s, the workers who hammered the copper skin, the way the meaning of "liberty" has shifted depending on who was standing where. It's the kind of detail that makes you pause and actually look at the faces in the old photographs instead of just moving through.

The ferry to Ellis Island takes about fifteen minutes. The Great Hall is the centerpiece—the room where over twelve million people stood in lines, waiting, hoping, terrified. Your companion audio guide walks you through what that moment felt like, what the inspection actually meant, where families reunited at the Kissing Post. The National Museum of Immigration fills the rest of the building with passenger manifests, oral histories, personal objects people brought in their pockets. You can spend an hour here or three; there's no schedule pushing you. Wheelchair access runs through both islands and the museums, and the ferry itself is accessible, so mobility isn't a constraint.

What makes this different from a standard ferry-and-walk is the web-based audio companion. It's not just narration over the official Park Service guide—it's a separate layer with cinematic storytelling, soundscapes, and the kind of emotional weight that comes from hearing real voices of immigrants, their descendants, and historians who've spent decades on these stories. You control when you listen, where you stand when you do, whether you loop back to hear something twice. The whole thing is self-paced, which means you're not trapped in anyone else's rhythm.

What’s included

Your visit includes round-trip ferry tickets from Battery Park to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, general admission to Liberty Island grounds and the Statue of Liberty Museum, general admission to Ellis Island and the National Museum of Immigration, access to the official National Park Service audio guide, and exclusive access to the web-based companion audio tour with cinematic narratives and bonus content. All museums and ferry transportation are wheelchair accessible.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Must See - Alcatraz tours / Muir Woods and Sausalito tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see both islands and their museums without a guide's schedule dictating your pace—the self-guided format and included audio companion mean you absorb the history on your own terms, and the ferry tickets from Battery Park handle the logistics so you just show up and board.

Traveler reviews

1.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Do I need to book a specific time to visit?

No. Round-trip ferry tickets are included, and you board at Battery Park on a first-come basis. You control how long you stay on each island.

Is the audio guide included or an extra cost?

Both audio guides are included: the official National Park Service guide and the exclusive web-based companion tour.

Can I go inside the Statue of Liberty itself?

This ticket includes access to Liberty Island grounds and the Statue of Liberty Museum, but not the crown or pedestal climb. You can see the original torch and explore the museum's exhibits.

How long does the whole visit take?

That's up to you. Most people spend 3–5 hours total, but you can stay longer or shorter depending on your pace.

Are there food options on the islands?

Limited concessions are available on both islands, but many visitors bring their own food and water.

Is this accessible for wheelchairs?

Yes. Both islands, the ferry, and all museums are wheelchair accessible, and strollers are permitted.

Can I bring a service animal?

Yes, service animals are allowed on the ferry and throughout both islands and museums.

What if the weather is bad?

Ferry service runs in most weather, but high winds or storms can cause delays or cancellations. Check the day-of status before heading to Battery Park.