One of the best views of the Statue of Liberty in New York doesn’t cost a dollar. It doesn’t need a ticket, a reservation, or a tour guide. It needs exactly one thing: getting on the right boat.
The Staten Island Ferry has been crossing the harbor for well over a century. The ferry’s official site puts it at almost 70,000 passengers a day and almost 22 million a year (checked October 2026), and most of them are commuters who barely look up. The visitors who find it tend to call it one of the best things they did in the city.
The Route That Became a New York Rite of Passage
The Staten Island Ferry, run by NYC DOT, links Whitehall Terminal at the southern tip of Manhattan with St. George Terminal on Staten Island. The ride takes about 25 minutes each way.
It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it is free. You don’t need a ticket, a booking or a MetroCard: you just walk on. The official site warns about scammers trying to sell ferry tickets, so don’t buy one from anybody. Boats run more often at weekday rush hours than late at night and on weekends; see siferry.com for the current schedule.
The City of New York took the ferry over from private operators in 1905. The fare for foot passengers was dropped on July 4, 1997, and the ride has been free ever since. That one decision turned a commuter service into one of New York’s best-loved free experiences.
The Views That Make It Worth the Trip
The ferry sails past the Statue of Liberty, and on a clear day you can pick out the torch and the crown from the deck. Ellis Island is in view too. On a bright morning or a warm summer evening, it’s a view many visitors pay for on harbor cruises, and here it’s free in both directions.
The skyline on the way back is just as good. Watching the towers of Lower Manhattan grow as you cross the water is something most people only see in photos. For the statue, stand on the right-hand (starboard) side as you leave Manhattan. On the way back, find a spot facing Manhattan for the skyline.
Go out on the open-air decks if you can. Most visitors stay inside behind the windows. Outside you get the harbor wind and nothing between you and the water.
The History That Most Passengers Miss
Before 1905, private companies ran the boats, and the ferry’s official history records fares going back to 1817. Yes, Cornelius Vanderbilt was one of the ferry owners: the official list of early vessels notes that the Navy bought the ferryboat Westfield from him in 1861 for the Civil War. In June 1901 the ferry Northfield was struck by another ferry as it left Whitehall and sank; quick work by the crew saved most of the 995 people aboard, and the accident was one of the main reasons the city took control.
Today’s biggest boats are big indeed. The official vessel list gives the Samuel I. Newhouse and Andrew J. Barberi room for 6,000 passengers each. And the orange? In 1926 the city swapped the original white for a reddish maroon, then later changed to municipal orange so the boats could be seen in heavy fog and snow. On a misty November morning, you can see exactly why.
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What to Do When You Arrive on Staten Island
Many visitors ride over and come straight back, and that’s a perfectly good plan: you get both directions of the view. But if you have a spare afternoon, two places at Snug Harbor are worth the short bus ride. Our guide to Staten Island, the borough New Yorkers dismiss, has more ideas.
New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden at Snug Harbor
The New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden sits inside Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, once a home for retired sailors. Snug Harbor says every detail was crafted in Suzhou, China, from the roof tiles to the hand-laid paving stones, by a team of 40 artists and craftspeople, and the garden opened in 1999. No nails or glue hold the woodwork together. From St. George Terminal, Snug Harbor recommends the S40 or S44 bus, about a 10-minute ride (checked October 2026). See snug-harbor.org for current hours and prices.
Staten Island Museum
Founded in 1881, the Staten Island Museum now sits on the same Snug Harbor campus, so it pairs easily with the garden. It mixes natural history, art and local history, and it’s one of the city’s quieter museums, which is exactly why we like it. Admission is a suggested amount; see statenislandmuseum.org for current hours and prices.
Tips for Getting the Most From the Ferry
Ride around sunset on a summer evening. The low light turns the harbor gold and lights up the downtown towers, and the Statue of Liberty glows on the way out. New Yorkers go on warm evenings just for this.
For more room on deck, avoid weekday rush hours, when the boats fill with commuters. A weekend morning is a calmer time to stand at the rail.
If you want to include the ferry in a 5-day New York itinerary, pair it with a walk through the Financial District and the 9/11 Memorial. The whole day stays in Lower Manhattan and never needs a subway.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Staten Island Ferry
Is the Staten Island Ferry really free?
Yes. NYC DOT runs it as a free service between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, every day of the week, year-round. You don’t need a ticket, a reservation or a MetroCard, and nobody should try to sell you one. Walk on at Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan or St. George Terminal on Staten Island.
What can you see from the Staten Island Ferry?
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on the way across, plus Governors Island, the Brooklyn and New Jersey waterfronts, and one of the best open views of the Lower Manhattan skyline anywhere in the city.
How long does the Staten Island Ferry take?
The official site gives the ride as about 25 minutes. Allow extra time on Staten Island for the next boat back; see siferry.com for the current schedule.
When is the best time to take the Staten Island Ferry?
A summer sunset is our favorite: the harbor light is lovely then. If you want space to move around on deck, avoid weekday rush hours.
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Plan Your New York Trip
The ferry departs from Whitehall Terminal at the end of Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan. It’s a short walk from the 1 train at South Ferry, the R and W trains at Whitehall Street, or the 4 and 5 trains at Bowling Green. The ferry runs around the clock. There’s no reason not to go.
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