Statue of Liberty Timings and Best Time to Visit

The first ferry to the Statue of Liberty leaves Battery Park at 9:00 AM every day. On the timetable posted through November 20, 2026, the last one leaves at 3:30 PM, and the last boat back at 5:15 PM. The best time to go is that first ferry on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, in late April, May, September or October. Book that boat as soon as your dates are set.

Hours checked November 7, 2026, on statuecitycruises.com and nps.gov. New York is on Eastern time.

Opening Hours

Liberty Island and Ellis Island open with the first ferry and close with the last one, every day except Thanksgiving and December 25. The National Park Service lists the islands as open 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with the last mainland ferry at 3:30 PM in winter and later in summer.

Statue City Cruises, the only authorized ferry, posts a timetable for each season a few weeks ahead. The one in force now runs October 13 to November 20, 2026. Boats leave Battery Park every 20 to 30 minutes and Liberty State Park every 40 minutes.

*First and last ferry from the mainland, hours checked November 7, 2026. The last boat back leaves Liberty Island at 5:00 PM and Ellis Island at 5:15 PM. Schedules change by season and in bad weather, so check the timetable for your date a few days before you go.

**Summer and fall hours follow the operator's last-entry calendar for the monument: 5:00 PM from June 14 to September 1, 4:00 PM from September 2 to October 13, and 3:30 PM the rest of the year. The last published summer ferry timetable (2023) had a 5:00 PM last mainland departure and a 7:00 PM closing boat. The 2027 summer timetable isn't out yet.

Christmas and New Year Hours (2026-27)

Liberty Island is closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026, and on Christmas Day. Every other day over the holidays runs the winter schedule, which ends early in the afternoon, and December 24 ends earlier still.

Holiday hours checked November 7, 2026, against statuecitycruises.com and nps.gov. New York is on Eastern time, so there's nothing to convert.

There are no fireworks or evening events on Liberty Island on New Year's Eve, and the last boat back leaves before dark in winter. The ball drop is in Times Square, a subway ride uptown. The Battery railing and the Staten Island Ferry give you the lit statue for free.

Our pick: the 9:00 AM ferry on a weekday between December 26 and 30. The island is at its busiest that week, and the first boat is the only quiet one. December highs in New York sit around 45°F (7°C), and the ferry deck is colder.

Skip it if: your only free slot is the afternoon of December 24 or any time on December 25. The 24th ends at 1:30 PM inside the monument, and the 25th has no ferries. See the statue from the Battery railing instead.

Pedestal tickets for Christmas week are on sale now and go first. Book your slot.

Timings for Specific Locations

The islands run on the ferry clock, but the monument has its own last-entry times, and they come earlier than people expect.

Best Time to Visit

Best Time of Day

Our pick is the 9:00 AM ferry. You board before the security line builds, and forum posters report waits of an hour or more before midday boats in busy months. The morning light is on the statue's face. The last useful window is the 2:00 PM boat, which still leaves time for the pedestal before the 3:30 PM last entry in winter.

Skip it if: you're thinking of a late-morning boat on a summer weekend. That's the longest line of the day, and it eats the pedestal time you paid for.

Best Months

Late April to early May, and September to October, give you mild weather and shorter lines than summer. The operator says January to March are the quietest months. The trade-off is a cold, windy deck, a 3:30 PM last ferry out, and a New Jersey departure that's usually paused.

For a US family planning around school breaks, spring break in late March or April is the best fit. The park is closed on Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas to New Year is the busiest week of the year by the operator's own account. Memorial Day weekend and July 4 both land in the summer peak.

Peak Season and Crowded Days of the Week

The operator names the week between Christmas and New Year as the busiest of the year. Summer comes next, with July and August the fullest boats, then spring break and holiday weekends. Crown and pedestal tickets sell out fastest for those dates.

Weekends are busier than weekdays all year, and the operator says Mondays and Fridays are busy too. Tuesday to Thursday outside school breaks is the calm stretch.

Our pick: if your dates are fixed in July, book the Pedestal Reserve for the 9:00 AM boat the day you know them. A reseller's "skip the line" tour doesn't skip anything here. Every passenger goes through the same screening, and the official ticket already gives you a line time.

How to Beat the Crowds

• Take the first boat. It skips the line that forum posters put at an hour or more by late morning in busy months.
• Arrive 30 minutes before your ticket time, not 90. You can't join the line more than 30 minutes early, so an earlier arrival is time on the sidewalk.
• Try Liberty State Park. Boats run every 40 minutes, parking is $7 beside the dock, and in our experience the screening line is shorter than at the Battery.
• Bring quarters and no bag. It saves the locker shuffle at the monument's second screening, where bags, food and strollers all stay outside.
• Do the pedestal first, then the museum. Last entry to the monument is 3:30 PM in winter; the museum has no cutoff before the last boat.

Once you've picked your boat, book it. The 9:00 AM ferry goes first, in summer and in holiday weeks.

We may earn a commission if you book through the links on this page. It doesn't change the price you pay.

Buy Tickets Now

Frequently Asked Questions