Liberty Island Promenade - Walking Around the Star

Photo: Islander61, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a free self-guided tour.

Follow the promenade along the water as it curves around the island, and you'll see the statue from every side. Here on the Manhattan side, the skyline lines up across the water and you can see just how far the ferry brought you.

Now look at the base of the statue. Those angled granite walls form an 11-pointed star: they are Fort Wood, an army fort finished in 1811, long before anyone dreamed of a statue here. When the time came, the pedestal was built right inside the old fort's walls. The island itself was called Bedloe's Island until Congress made the name Liberty Island official in 1956.

As you walk, look up at Liberty's feet. Half-hidden under her robe is a broken chain and shackle, a symbol of freedom from oppression that most visitors never spot from the ground. In her left arm she holds a tablet marked with the date July 4, 1776, written in Roman numerals.

Getting here: From the museum, follow the waterfront promenade clockwise past the flagpole to the island's east side, facing Manhattan.

Did you know?: Liberty faces southeast, toward the Narrows, so she greets ships arriving in the harbor from the Atlantic.

Photo op: Stand at the railing to frame Lower Manhattan across the water, then turn around to catch the statue rising above the star-shaped walls.

Nearby: Benches line the promenade; restrooms and Crown Cafe are back near the ferry dock.

More on Wikipedia: Liberty Island · Statue of Liberty

Liberty Island Promenade - Walking Around the Star

Stops on this tour