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The Staten Island Ferry is the best free attraction in New York City: a 25-minute boat ride across New York Harbor from the southern tip of Manhattan to Staten Island and back, with a close pass of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the full sweep of the Lower Manhattan skyline, at no charge and with no ticket. It runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year, carrying about 70,000 passengers a day, most of them commuters who barely look up from their phones at one of the great views in the world.
The ferry has operated in some form since 1817 and has been free since 1997. The current orange boats leave from the Whitehall Terminal at the foot of Manhattan, cross the five miles of harbor to the St. George Terminal on Staten Island, and return, with departures every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day. The ride is the attraction. On the way out, stand on the right side of the boat for the Statue of Liberty, which the ferry passes within about a half mile; on the way back, stand at the front for the skyline growing larger, with One World Trade Center rising over the Financial District.
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Most visitors take the ferry purely for the ride, disembark at St. George, and walk straight back on for the return, which the rules require. But Staten Island's terminal neighborhood has grown up in recent years, with the Empire Outlets mall, the Staten Island Museum, and a waterfront esplanade a short walk from the dock, if you'd rather make a morning of it.
The Staten Island Ferry has crossed New York Harbor for more than 200 years. Here are the key facts every visitor should know:
The Staten Island Ferry runs around the clock, every day of the year, and the crossing is worth taking at almost any hour, but a few times stand out.
Sunset is the best. Board about 30 minutes before sunset so you pass the Statue of Liberty in golden light on the way out, then return as the sky darkens and the skyline lights up in front of you. It's the single best free view in the city, and it costs nothing.
Weekday rush hours, from 7 to 9am and 5 to 7pm, run the most frequent boats, every 15 minutes, but they're packed with commuters; midday and weekends are calmer and the outdoor decks are easy to reach. Night crossings are quiet and the lit skyline is spectacular.
Clear days are essential for the view; fog erases the statue and the skyline entirely. Winter crossings are cold on the outdoor decks but the air is clearest; summer evenings are the most pleasant. The ferry is a natural end to a Lower Manhattan day, after the 9/11 Memorial, Wall Street, and Battery Park.
The Staten Island Ferry departs from the Whitehall Terminal at the southern tip of Manhattan, at 4 Whitehall Street beside Battery Park. Take the 1 train to South Ferry, which exits directly into the terminal; the R or W to Whitehall Street, also inside the terminal; or the 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, a three-minute walk.
The terminal is a five-minute walk from the Statue of Liberty ferry dock in Battery Park, ten minutes from Wall Street, and fifteen minutes from the 9/11 Memorial, so it fits easily at the end of a Lower Manhattan day. On Staten Island, the boat arrives at St. George Terminal, where the return gate is a short walk through the building.
Use our interactive NYC subway guide to plan your exact route from any hotel or neighborhood before you arrive.
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