Statue of Liberty Tickets

Thinking of buying Statue of Liberty tickets? You'll want to get the most out of your experience. There are lots of tickets and tours, but not all of them offer the same thing.

Most tickets include return ferry rides from Battery Park and access to Liberty Island, with live guides or digital audio commentary filling in the gaps as you wander the grounds. Many tours include Ellis Island and its fascinating Museum of Immigration.

Other tickets grant access to the Statue of Liberty Museum or Lady Liberty's pedestal. There are also cruises, if you're happy with a water-level view of the Green Goddess.

Access to the Statue of Liberty's crown is extremely limited (365 tickets per day), and can only be purchased well in advance through official outlets. You'll do even better to visit the torch – it's been closed to the public since 1916!

It's possible to get Statue of Liberty tickets last-minute, but you really are advised to book in advance to make sure you get the experience you deserve.

Tickets with return ferry journeys and access to Liberty Island are usually easy to come by on the day. If you want to visit the pedestal level, you'll likely need to book in advance of a few days. When it comes to climbing the 354 steps for crown access, you'll need to book up to six months in advance!

The short and depressing answer is no, you can't climb to the Statue of Liberty's torch. The original torch was damaged by an explosion in 1916, and replaced with a replica in the 1980s. It's been closed to the public for over 100 years.

But all is not lost! If you purchase a ticket with access to the Statue of Liberty Museum, you can see the amber glow of the original torch up close.

Some questions are more important than others. All that liberty will make you hungry, so where's good to eat near the Statue of Liberty?

The ferries to both Liberty and Ellis Islands have snack bars on-board. The Crown Café on Liberty Island provides various no-nonsense fast-food options: french fries, wraps, burgers, and the like. Over on Ellis Island, the Ellis Café has a similar hunger-quenching menu. You can also bring your own picnic and enjoy it within the grounds.

You're obviously aware that Lady Liberty is that shade of piscine green because her copper shell has been oxidized over time. So here are some enlightening, alternative Statue of Liberty facts:

• The Statue of Liberty is not the tallest in the world. She barely makes the top 50.

• If your hair stands on end when you see her, it could be because the statue is struck by lightning hundreds of times every year. It's a sight to behold!

• She's got the moves – Liberty sways up to three inches during strong winds.

• Up until 1902, the statue was a functioning lighthouse, which makes sense.

• The Statue of Liberty is a movie icon. One of her least-famous but most-hilarious silver-screen appearances came in 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, in which manicured villain Nuclear Man literally flings Lady Liberty at New York City, forcing Superman to zoom in fist-forward to save the day.