The best view of the Statue of Liberty costs nothing. The Staten Island Ferry runs twenty-five minutes each way between Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan and St. George on Staten Island, and it has been free since July fourth, nineteen ninety-seven.
The service started in eighteen seventeen under the Richmond Turnpike Company. In the eighteen thirties, a young Cornelius Vanderbilt — who would later build Grand Central Terminal and become one of the richest Americans in history — expanded the ferry operation. Today, it carries almost seventy thousand passengers daily, roughly twenty-two million a year.
Board at Whitehall, head to the right side of the vessel, go upstairs to the outdoor deck, and position yourself toward the back. As the ferry pulls away from Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty appears to your right, Ellis Island behind it, and Governors Island to your left. The entire Lower Manhattan skyline recedes behind you. Then you get off at Staten Island, walk through the terminal, and get back on the next ferry heading the other way.
It is the single best free experience in New York and almost nobody who lives here uses it for anything other than commuting.
Verified Facts
The ferry has been free since July 4, 1997
The service began in 1817 under the Richmond Turnpike Company and was expanded by Cornelius Vanderbilt in the 1830s
It carries approximately 70,000 passengers daily, about 22 million annually
The journey takes 25 minutes each way between Whitehall Terminal and St. George
Get walking directions
Whitehall Terminal, 4 Whitehall St, New York, NY 10004
