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From Broadway shows, to Times Square, the Empire State building, Coney Island, art galleries, concerts and sporting events, there are endless activities in New York city. Our weekend plans for New York city included an autism-friendly visit to the Statue of Liberty. The thoughts of noise, traffic, speed and crowds can make New York feel like an overwhelming trip idea, but with some planning it can be an enjoyable experience.
For this two day adventure in New York we decided to play around in Central Park, take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, and hop over to New Jersey to the American Dream Mall.
Our Itinerary
Day 1
- Drive from Rochester to NYC
- Central Park and sightseeing
- Hotel: SpringHill Suites East Rutherford Meadowlands/Carlstadt
Day 2
- Ferry to the Statue of Liberty
- American Dream Mall in NJ
- Hotel: Courtyard Secaucus Meadowlands
Walking through Central Park
Our drive from Rochester, NY to New York, NY was about 6.5 hours. When we arrived to NYC, our first stop was Central Park. Since it was a Sunday, we found street parking pretty easily and walked a few blocks to Central Park. After a long car ride, what better way to get some air and exercise than walking the streets of NYC. We entered the park near Central Park Zoo.
Central Park is essentially New York City’s backyard. The 843-acre park welcomes over 42 million visitors annually. Located in the middle of Manhattan, the park is a break from the hustle, bustle and concrete of New York City life, and also a major tourist attraction.
Millions visit the park to experience the outdoors but also to experience the ice skating rinks (in the summer one rink is an amusement park) walking tours, birdwatching tours, the Central Park Zoo, Belvedere Castle, the Central Park Carousel, beautiful gardens and so much more.
After walking through the park, we eventually made our way to Empire Rock and then one of the over 20 playgrounds to let the kids have fun.
If you have a hotel in New York city, you can easily access Central Park with an Uber, from a subway, bus or taxi ride. We could have also taken the city bus from our hotel in New Jersey into Manhattan which is a great option for many travelers.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
My son loves the Home Alone movie franchise, especially Central Park also provides a great view of the world famous, Plaza Hotel. The hotel featured in the Home Alone 2 movie. He wanted to spend a night at the hotel, but we had to settle for just pictures and a walk through the lobby.
We then drove through Manhattan to check out the Empire State Building and finished our time in Manhattan with of course, some NY pizza.
How we planned our autism-friendly visit to the Statute of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a National Monument and a part of the National Park service. The Statue was a gift from France back in 1886 as a symbol freedom. The iconic Statue is the highlight of a New York visit for millions of families each year.
Getting to the Statue of Liberty requires a ride on a ferry. You can catch a ferry to the Statue of Liberty from two places:
- The Battery in Manhattan in New York City
- Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey
To create an autism-friendly and accepting experience for my family we:
- Selected a hotel in New Jersey 20 minutes from Liberty State Park so our drive to the ferry terminal was easy.
- Arrived as early as possible to the port to limit crowds through ferry terminal security and on eventually, the Island.
- Explored the Statue as soon as we got off of the ferry before it got crowded, and then checked out the Liberty Island grounds after. Exploring new places works best for us when there are few crowds, less noise and my son is able to move a little more freely.
- Limited the activities we participated in on Liberty Island keeping the outing to under 2 hours
You could easily spend hours on the island visiting the Crown, Pedestal, museum and enjoying the views. We spent only about 1. 5 hours on the island. They ferry ride is about 20 minutes each way.
I think it would have been interesting to check out Ellis Island, but it would have added 1-2 hours to our experience, and that would have been pushing my son’s limits.
Accessibility on the Island
The national park website for the Statue of Liberty lists a few of the ways they try to make visits accessible to everyone. They offer services for guests with physical disabilities as well is cognitive disabilities.
Some of the autism-friendly resources include quiet spaces on the Statue grounds as well as resting benches within the lobby of the pedestal.
How to Get Tickets to Liberty Island
Visiting the State of Liberty requires the purchase of a ticket. Tickets should be purchased in advance online. We purchased ours through Statue City Cruises. At the time of our visit, it was about $25 per adult and $13 for kids. The ticket price is the same no matter if you just go to the islands or go inside the Statue.
There are three types of tickets available:
- General Admission: Round trip ferry transportation, access to Liberty Island and Ellis Island
- Pedestal Ticket: Same as general, plus access the Pedestal level of the Statue of Liberty
- Crown Ticket: Same as general, plus access to the Crown level of the Statue of Liberty
If you want to go the Pedestal level or up into the Crown, you will need to get your tickets well in advance. I booked our tickets about three weeks in advance and access to the Crown was already sold out! I was still able to reserve tickets for Pedestal level. So, I recommend that you book early if you are planning to visit.
Boarding the New Jersey Ferry to Liberty Island
Our reservation for entry into the Statue of Libery Pedestal was for 9:00 AM. We just missed the first ferry due to getting through security, but we were on the second ferry by 9:20 AM. The ferry can become very congested with each trip over. When we arrived at Liberty State Park in New Jersey to board the ferry, there was ample parking in the parking lot.
You will need to go through security screening, similar to what you would find at an airport where they scan you and your bags. After you pass through security, you are free to join the line for the ferry.
The first ferry stop is Ellis Island where you can visit the National Museum of Immigration. The next stop is Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty is located.
Liberty Island is pretty easy to navigate as there are many directional signs and Park Rangers available to assist when yo exit the ferry. Park Rangers are not just there to give directions, but have a wonderful wealth of knowledge about the park and the Statue of Liberty.
Inside the Statue of Liberty
Prior to entering the Pedestal or Crown, you will need to pass through another outside security check point. There are lockers provided for you to store your things since book bags, food and other items are not allowed.
Once inside the Pedestal, we immediately headed to the stairs to start our trip to the top. My son and husband decided to climb the 215 steps (10 stories) while my daughter and I opted for the elevator.
Once you get to the top observation deck, you can step out and see the views of NYC and NJ from over 150 feet in the air. We were lucky to have a beautiful day were we could see clearly.
American Dream Mall in New Jersey
After we left the Statue of Liberty, we headed back over to New Jersey to visit the American Dream Mall for the rest of the afternoon. The American Dream Mall is one of the biggest malls in North America offering not just shopping, but a host of family activities including an three indoor theme parks.
The major theme park features of the mall include:
- Dreamworks Waterpark, the largest indoor waterpark in North America
- Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park
- Big Snow, and indoor ski resort with real snow
In addition to the indoor theme parks, there are many other attractions including mini golf, black light mini golf, an indoor ice skating rink, a ferris wheel, ropes course, an aquarium and so many other highlights.
We couldn’t do it all so we chose to hit up the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park. The theme park has a good selection of rides, however after just one-ride my son was ready to leave.
There is always a balance we try to strike for our kids in honoring Charles’ needs but allowing Camryn to experience things she finds fun.
My husband and I often employ a strategy of divide and conquer. So, I rode rides with Camryn while my husband and son explored the mall. Walking through the mall made him happy and allowed him to move at his own pace, while I managed to fit into the kiddie rides and create core memories with Camryn.
Another Autism-Friendly Activity for a Weekend in New York
If you are headed to the New York area, you can take the opportunity to travel about 1.5 hours north to LEGOLAND NY. LEGOLAND is a Certified Austim Center providing family fun in an inclusive environment,
On a previous road trip to New York city, we spent only a few hours walking around and checking out the sites. We got back in the car after lunch and drove the 1.5 hours north to LEGOLAND NY where we spent two days in the Hudson Valley (you can read about our experience in LEGOLAND NY). If visiting the city for a full weekend seems like too much, consider just a few hours in the city, and then the short ride to LEGOLAND.
We completed our goal of creating an autism-friendly weekend in New York city. We covered a lot in our weekend but not so much that the trip became overwhelming. Leaving space to change things as needed, the ability to find quiet spaces and identifying things that could be challenging allowed our family to have an experience in New York, NY.
