News Release

Liberty Island to Reopen Grounds Only on July 20

Date: July 17, 2020

Liberty & Ellis Islands, NY/NJ – In response to the modifications made to Phase Four of New York State’s reopening plan by the Governor of New York today, the National Park Service (NPS) announced today, that only Liberty Island will partially reopen Monday, July 20.  Ellis Island will remain closed as will the museums on both islands.
 
“When we were notified that museums were excluded from Phase 4 of the state’s reopening plan we quickly moved to adjust our reopening plan to delay the reopening of the Statue of Liberty Museum and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration,” said John Piltzecker, Superintendent, Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island. “We will now open access to the grounds of Liberty Island only where outdoor dining and restrooms will be available. Ellis Island, the interior of the Statue of Liberty, and both our museums will remain closed.”

Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities the NPS is using a phased approach to partially reopen the park while continuing to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The NPS operational approach is centered on examining each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. Working closely with the NPS Office of Public Health, the park is using CDC guidance to ensure public areas and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.   

Partial reopening, or Phase I, of Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, will include access to:
 

• The grounds of Liberty Island (Statue of Liberty Museum and Liberty Information Center closed)
• Limited food and gift shop services on Liberty Island

The Statue of Liberty Museum and the interior of the Statue of Liberty, including the pedestal and crown, remain closed and will be included as part of a later reopening phase. Outdoor spaces on Liberty Island will be accessible to the public in accordance with the latest federal, state and local public health guidance.

We strongly encourage visitors to make advanced ticketing reservations at www.statuecruises.com
to avoid ticketing queues in Battery Park, NY or Liberty State Park, NJ.
 
The hours of operations are 8:30 am to 6:45 pm daily. 
 
 The following public health measures have been incorporated into daily operations:
 

• Reduced visitor capacity on ferries to the islands.
• Social distancing floor markers and signs posted.
• Rigorous and frequent disinfecting and sanitizing of public spaces and surfaces.
• Hand sanitizing stations located in foodservice and visitor information areas.
• Controlled, one-directional access and queuing lines for security screening, ferry, and museums
• Visitor experience staff members wearing face coverings.

We ask visitors to recreate responsibly by following guidance from the CDC and state and local authorities to reduce the spread of COVID-19.


For more information about the park’s phased approach to reopening, visit nps.gov/stli or check the park’s Facebook @StatueLibrtyNPS, Twitter and Instagram feeds @StatueEllisNPS. Updates about NPS operations are shared at nps.gov/coronavirus.

-NPS-

 

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