Summer Vacation Ideas: An Educational (and Fun!) Visit to The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

If you ever find yourself in New York City or New Jersey,  plan a fun, family-oriented visit to The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island!

Last summer,  my children and I were visiting New Jersey  and decided to spend the day exploring some history with Lady Liberty. After some  online research, I discovered a cruise line tour called Statue Cruises that offered departures from Jersey City, NJ and also Battery Park in NYC.  We were staying on the NJ side of the Hudson River, so we headed down to Liberty Park in Jersey City, NJ to catch our ferry ride over. With a little bit of planning, you can spend a day exploring US history with amazing views!

Book tickets online to avoid long lines. Visit https://www.statuecruises.com/ for cruise information and also to book tickets for the ferry ride to both Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (a combo ticket). The time you purchase your ticket for is the time you will depart for your first stop. They recommend for you arrive 30 minutes prior.

Parking is available on-site  in NJ. Reminder that there are heavy security points before loading onto the ferries. Visit the website for items that are forbidden. Reminder to take a jacket or sweatshirt (the ferry ride can get chilly and windy), hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, cameras, and wear comfortable shoes.

Take a self-guided family tour. I went back and forth with which type of tour to book for both Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. In the end, I decided to take the free self-guided tour, while using the free headsets that offer a family-friendly recording of the history of both The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was a great way for everyone to listen at their own pace all while following along together. We chose not to reserve a tour of the pedestal and crown, due to extra time and money that was needed. Not having gone to the crown or pedestal before, I think the time and money saved doing the self-guided tour was very informational, fun and easy-going for our family, and we made a good choice!

Don’t forget to stop for snacks and souvenirs. All along the walking path around The Statue of Liberty, you will find food and drink carts, along with many souvenir shops.

Photo opportunities galore! Riding over the ferry along with walking around base of The Statue, you will have plenty of opportunities to take photos of the historical landmarks, in addition to the amazing skyline of NYC across the Hudson River.

Plan time for your visit. Depending on which tour you decide to take, plan time to spend on each “island”. Different aged children may spend more or less time reading signs and listening to the self-guided recorded tours. You will also need to get on a 2nd Ferry to visit Ellis Island. (Note: If leaving from NJ, the cruise will go from Liberty Park, NJ to The Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island to Liberty Party. If leaving from NYC, the cruise will go from Battery Park, NYC to Ellis Island to The Statue of Liberty to Battery Park. Make sure you get on the correct ferry to either NYC or NJ.) I would recommend setting aside approximately 4-5 hours for this tourist attraction from parking  your car to standing in security lines to ferry rides to both attractions and the time to explore and relax.

Explore your heritage! While on Ellis Island, you can pay a small fee to search the immigrant databases and find the paperwork and certificate of your ancestors. You will need the first and last name and year of immigration.

Visit the 9/11 Memorials in both NJ and NYC. At Liberty Park, near where you will board the ferry, take a moment to visit the 9/11 New Jersey Memorial.If you take the ferry from Battery Park in NYC, the main 9/11 Memorial and Museum (for a fee) are located a couple of blocks away from the ferry landing. (Note: you can only access the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in NYC if you take the Statue Cruises from Battery Park in NYC. The NJ ferry does not go to NY.)

Vacation Goals…Get on The Today Show!

On our last family trip to NYC, I wanted to take the kids to the live taping of The Today Show. What a fun and unique (and also free!) experience! Here are some suggested tips if you plan on adding The Today Show to your NYC vacation agenda:

1. RSVP. Register on The Today Show website to tell them that you are visiting the set and if you are celebrating an occasion. Visit http://visit.today.com .
2. Book your Lodging. Choose to stay at a hotel close to 30 Rockefeller. It is an early rising day when visiting The Today Show. (Tip: Various chain hotels are located in Times Square, which is close by.) You will need to arrive by 6AM.
3. Pack Snacks for the Morning. You do not want to lose your place in line or your post at the live taping. Tip: There was a coffee truck the morning we were there, but uncertain if it is a daily/seasonal truck, be prepared.
4. Make a Poster. Pack poster supplies (tape, sharpie markers, letter stickers, shapes, poster board)…to make an eye-catching sign. Think of a catchy question or phrase and hopefully one of the producers or anchors will read it! Dylan Dreyer read ours, chit chatted with my son, checked off our list and we got on TV! Note: The Today Show actually provides you with markers and a poster sign, if you forget.
5. Get Noticed! Pick a standing spot near props for an outdoor segment or where the cameras are set up. We were lucky enough to take photos with every anchor that was present that day and get on the opening scenes for the 8 o’clock hour!
6. Book Another Fun Experience.  Make a reservation for the NBC Experience (located across the street) in advance, especially during busy tourist seasons. We hear it is a fun experience, on our list for next visit (our trip was a last minute trip and the NBC Experience was sold out, but we still got to shop at the store and purchase a Today Show Christmas ornament.)
7. Pack some activities for the kids. You arrive by 6 AM and stand in line and wait around for some meet and greets, pre-recorded segments and introductions, so a suggestion is to pack some activities for the kids to fill in the “down time”.  Examples: Rubix cube and Head’s Up App.