Statue of Liberty Pedestal - Inside the Base

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

If you booked pedestal or crown tickets, this is your moment. These tickets are limited and often sell out, so reserve them ahead through Statue City Cruises, and expect a second security check before you go in.

The granite pedestal was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt, and it almost didn't get built. France paid for the statue, but Americans had to pay for the base, and the money ran short. In 1885 the publisher Joseph Pulitzer used his newspaper, the New York World, to rally readers, and about 120,000 people chipped in, most of them giving less than a dollar. The statue itself had already crossed the Atlantic in pieces, packed in 214 crates. Liberty was finally dedicated on October 28, 1886.

Inside the pedestal, you can look up through a glass ceiling into the statue and see the iron framework holding her together. Out on the observation deck, the whole harbor opens up around you. Crown visitors keep going: 162 narrow steps, and no elevator.

Getting here: Continue along the promenade to the pedestal entrance and follow the signs for ticketed pedestal and crown visitors.

Did you know?: The statue's copper skin is only about 2.4 millimeters thick - thinner than two pennies stacked together.

Photo op: From the pedestal's observation deck, look straight up at Liberty's robes and raised torch arm towering overhead.

Nearby: Most bags must go in a locker before you enter the pedestal. Restrooms and food are back near the ferry dock.

More on Wikipedia: Statue of Liberty · Richard Morris Hunt · Joseph Pulitzer

Statue of Liberty Pedestal - Inside the Base

Stops on this tour