New York Shifts Way to Screen Visitors to Statue of Liberty

Under a proposal being discussed by city and federal officials, tourists who visit the Statue of Liberty in New York City would instead get onboard boats and go through security on Ellis Island. The plan would eliminate hour long waits at Manhattan’s Battery Park and at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, where passengers are shuttled to both Ellis Island and Liberty Island, the home of the Statue of Liberty. Before the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City, visitors were screened only when they went inside the Statue of Liberty. Tourists who only want to go to Ellis Island would not be screened, said the chief operating officer of Statue Cruises, which operates the ferries. He said the plan would streamline operations, improving tourists’ visits. The proposal is the latest example of making the monument more visitor-friendly since it closed to the public after September 11. The statue’s base reopened in 2004, but the observation deck at the top of Lady Liberty’s crown remained closed until July 2009. It’s scheduled to close again in the fall for emergency exit improvements.