Statue of Liberty - Anyone been in/up it?

I was disappointed when I went up the Statue of Liberty. It takes ages, winding staircases and when you get to the top (the crown bit), you have to keep moving and the viewing platform is really narrow and the windows in the crown are really tiny so the view isn't even that good. Its not something I'd do again or recommend but everyone's different. It seemed to be over in a flash when we actually got to the top and if I remember correctly you even have to stoop down a bit to see out of the windows. You can't go any higher than the crown - some people seemed to think you can go up to the torch but I'm pretty sure you can't. This was about 20 years ago so things may have changed a bit but I'm not sure how they could have improved it. I also went in February and it was a beautiful clear day and can't really remember what we could see when we got there ?

Hi, I would say its worthwhile doing just so you can say you have done it. you can go fairly high up to the gallery. I didn't go up the first time and made a point of doing it the second and was glad that I had.

We did, it was March time and freezing so pretty quiet. I should imagine February would be quiet too. There wasn't much of a queue, but you do have to go through security both at the ferry terminal, and then inside the statue, which includes taking off belts etc. I wouldn't want to go through all that when it's busy ?. Also, there is a limit of size bag you can take in, but there are lockers in the shop before going in.

You don't go all the way to the top, just to the base. The views are pretty good though, even when it's snowing ?. You can also do a free tour.

I suppose it depends on what else you've seen, but you could combine it with other things in the area. We walked down from 32nd Street via Washington Square, Ground Zero, through the world financial centre and along the Hudson.

You can't go to the top any more. After 9/11 they closed the whole thing, but since reopened it partially. I'm glad I didn't have to get the stairs to the top ?

Thanks all. I think I'll forward your comments to him and he can make his own mind up.

I don't think they let you up in anymore for security reasons since 9/11. Last time I went was 2003 though, so it might have changed.

You can't get any further than the pedestal http://www.nps.gov/stli/

The view from the pedestal is pretty good, but the crown (even if you could go up) looks out to the ocean so you see bugger all

i was told by about three people not to bother. so i didn't. ?

We were in NY last month for Christmas and as others have said, you can't go up to the crown anymore after 9/11. We got off at Liberty Island and walked round but after 20 mins got the ferry to Elli Island where we spent a good couple of hours. The queues to get the ferry to Liberty were HUGE - so much so that we got tickets after queing for about 20 mins only to then see that the queue for the ferry was about a mile long! As the tickets are valid for 3 days we got up early the next day and were 7th/8th in queue at 7am!!!! Re going in the statue - from what we understood, they only allow a limited number of people to go in every day on the first ferry but I am not too sure how the ticket system works so you may want to look into that !

We went to NYC in 1996 and walked/climbed to the top, well the crown part anyway. It was really busy and once you got to the top there was only enough room for 2 oe 3 people. The windows were really tiny, really thick and as someone else has said you have to really stoop to even look out of them (and I'm only 5ft 4" tall!) and the view isn't all that either. That said if I was going back for a first time visit I'd still go up just to say I'd done it.

As others have said, you can't go up inside the crown any more and I found it disappointing anyway. This time we just took the free ferry to Staten Island and looked at it out of the window!

Can i suggest you go to the Top of the Rock instead, ie, the viewing platform for the Rockerfeller Center? You get views over Manhattan and the advantage over the Empire State Building is that you can actually see the Empire State Building. ? We did that when we were over at New Year and got some great pictures of the Empire State Building as the sun set and the lights came on.

Thanks everyone!

Yup pedastal only.

Also worth noting is the security is airport style and takes forever, metal detectors, bag searches etc and there's a limit on bag size. You also need ID.

In my opinion the whole thing is way more hassel than its worth although Ellis Island is interesting.

I'm going to Ellis Island next week in my quest to only do inside things while in NY ?

Bars and museums it is then!

I'm getting a MAC makeover too hopefully!