New York — a first! Tour the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island at night

Quick — call your friends. These tickets will sell out quickly. For the first time, park officials say, the public will be able to tour the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island at night. These special events are in honor of National Public Lands Day on Sept. 26 and will include dinner and a preview of Ken Burns’ new documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” set to premiere Sept. 27 on PBS.

As you might recall, the Statue of Liberty’s Crown reopened on July 4 this year. It had been closed since Sept. 11, 2001, because of security issues due to the attacks. There are also etours available online and you can follow Lady Liberty on Twitter (@StatueLibrtyNPS).

When: Unfortunately you can’t view both sites on the same night. The Night Visit to Ellis Island will be on Sept. 24 and the Night Visit to Liberty Island will be Sept. 25. Boarding for both tours will begin at 6 p.m. with departure at 6:45 p.m. The tours will take place between 7 and 9 p.m.

Where: Departures will be from two locations: Liberty State Park and Battery Park.

Cost: $29

Caveat: The Great Hall on Ellis Island will be open for visitors who would like to explore the exhibits. On Liberty Island the Pedestal, Museum and Statue will not be open, but rangers will be stationed around the island providing interpretation and answering questions.

National Public Lands Day: It’s worth noting that National Public Lands Day also marks a massive volunteer effort to improve America’s public parks and spaces. To find an event near you, check out the National Public Lands website.

Deal Tip: Note that on Sept. 26, admission to all 391 national parks will be free for National Public Lands Day.

Contact: Statue Cruises, (877) 523-9849

— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photo: Julie Jacobson / Associated Press]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 6:37 pm by Jen Leo and is filed under Deals, East Coast, Fall, Family & Kids, National Parks, New York, News, Tips & Advice, Outdoors & Adventure, Theme Parks, Tours & Cruises, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.