Where to see the ‘mini’ Statue of Liberty that France sent to NJ
Lady Liberty’s "little sister" has arrived from France to spend the long holiday weekend near her iconic sibling, on national park land between New Jersey and New York.
The 9-foot, nearly 1,000-pound likeness crossed the Atlantic Ocean 135 years after "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" — and will stand on Ellis Island from Thursday through Monday.
By contrast, the statue that greets those arriving in New York Harbor from Liberty Island stands 305 feet and one inch from ground to torch — the copper alone weighs 62,000 pounds.
Auguste Bartholdi designed the original statue in Paris, where it was fully constructed in 1884. It was assembled and dedicated on what is now Liberty Island two years later.
The more diminutive bronze version was crafted from the original 1878 plaster model by Bartholdi.
It previously was on view at Paris’s Musée des Arts et Métiers, where it was packed up earlier this month as seen in a time-lapse video shared to Instagram by shipping company, CMA CGM.
Gov. Phil Murphy, French Ambassador to the U.S. Phillipe Étienne, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Chairman Kevin O'Toole, Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage and CMA CGM Chairman Ed Aldridge were slated to attend a welcome ceremony at Port Elizabeth at APM Terminals on Wednesday morning.
After the short visit along New York Harbor, the mini Lady Liberty will then be taken by truck to Washington D.C. to stand outside the French ambassador's residence in time for Bastille Day, July 14.
Little Lady Liberty will stay there in D.C. for a decade, on loan from France.
Know before you go
Statue City Cruises is the only ferry transportation provider to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
Ferries leave from two locations: Liberty State Park in Jersey City and Battery Park in southern Manhattan. Tickets can be purchased online.
Private vessels may not dock at either Ellis or Liberty Islands.
Park visitors can access the grounds and museums.
As of Thursday, the pedestal observation deck of the Statue of Liberty will reopen to the public by advanced ticket reservations — visitor capacity will be kept at 50%.
The statue's crown will remain closed until a future reopening phase.
Visitor hours will also be expanded, with the first ferry sailing to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island at 9 a.m. and the last ferry leaving for the islands at 4:30 p.m.
On Liberty Island, the 26,000 square-foot Statue of Liberty Museum and its theater are open "with limited capacity."
Ellis Island Museum is open, though theaters remained closed as of Wednesday.
Limited snacks, beverages, and gift shop services are available.