News Release

Museums on Liberty & Ellis Islands to Begin Phased Reopening

Statue of Liberty Museum & Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to Reopen With Modified Operations

Date: August 20, 2020

Liberty & Ellis Islands, NY/NJ – The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that the Statue of Liberty Museum and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration intend to partially reopen on Monday, August 24.  The reopening is in response to the City of New York’s inclusion of museums and cultural institutions to Phase Four of New York State’s reopening plan. 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 museums while continuing to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
"The health and safety of our visitors and employees are our highest priority,” said John Piltzecker, Superintendent, Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island. "We are pleased to begin welcoming back visitors to the museums on Liberty and Ellis Islands as they tell the most important and engaging stories behind these global icons.”
 
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.   

The partial reopening of the museums is part of the NPS Phase One reopening of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, will include access to:
 

• Statue of Liberty Museum (immersive theater and interactive exhibits closed)
• Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration (theaters, interactive exhibits and library closed)
• The grounds of Liberty and Ellis Islands (Liberty Information Center closed)
• Limited food and gift shop services

The interior of the Statue of Liberty, including the pedestal and crown, remains closed and will be included as part of a later reopening phase. Outdoor spaces on Liberty & Ellis Islands 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 5:00 pm daily. 
 
 The following public health measures have been incorporated into daily operations:
 

• Reduced visitor capacity on ferries to the islands.
• Museums will operate at 25% occupancy
• Signage directing visitor flow through the museums on Liberty and Ellis Islands.
• Social distancing floor markers and signs posted.
• Controlled, one-directional access and queuing lines for museums, security screening, and ferry
• Rigorous and frequent disinfecting and sanitizing of public spaces and surfaces.
• Hand sanitizing stations located in food service and visitor information areas.
• 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 -