# Statue of Liberty **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853 "2001-04-30T15:02:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/1 "2001-04-30T15:02:54Z")
Is the Statue of Liberty in NY or NJ (if either)? Please provide a cite, if at all possible. I’ve searched around, but have not been able to find this answer. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/2 "2001-04-30T15:30:38Z")
I don’t have a cite, but New Jersey tried to claim it a few years ago, and was heavily rebuffed by New York. They’ve got it on New York State license plates, and it shows up on the new New York State quarter, as if they’re trying to rub it in. Liberty Island (formerly Bedloe’s Island) and Ellis Island are MUCH closer to New Jersey than to any land in New York City/State. For that matter, so is Staten Island, which fits into the Jersey Shoreline like a glove, and ios connected to New York only by the Verrazzano Narrows bridge (and the Staten Island Ferry). ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/3 "2001-04-30T15:42:21Z")
I asked this question about a month ago. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=65503](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=65503) While the responses seem reasonable, I am still not convinced. To settle the matter once and for all, I plan commit a major felony while in the statue and see where they send me to prison. I will keep you posted. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/4 "2001-04-30T15:59:49Z")
The National Park Service page for the Statue of Liberty National Monument says “Located in New York, NJ,NY”, neatly sidestepping the issue (undoubtedly, parts of the monument are in both states). However, you might note that Liberty Island has a New York postal address and phone number, whatever it might look like on the map: [http://www.nps.gov/stli/pphtml/contacts.html](http://www.nps.gov/stli/pphtml/contacts.html) ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/5 "2001-04-30T16:05:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shagnasty \* > \*\*To settle the matter once and for all, I plan commit a major felony while in the statue and see where they send me to prison. I will keep you posted. 😃 \*\* My wife is going for a day trip this week, so if you want to be civilly disobedient, I’ll send her with some extra money for bail. Will $5 do? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/6 "2001-04-30T17:59:34Z")
Careful, dude. If is is a National Park, the Feds may get you, and you’ll never know! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/7 "2001-05-01T05:39:12Z")
> [@](#): > > To settle the matter once and for all, I plan commit a major felony while in the statue and see where they send me to prison. I will keep you posted. Foolishly, Magneto has revealed his true identity to us. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statue-of-liberty/63853/8 "2001-05-01T07:55:15Z")
It is in New York. The original grants from the King of England set the boundary between the two states at the New Jersey shore. When the two states settled the boundary on their own in 1834, the boundary was moved to the middle of the channel. However, Ellis and Bedloe’s Islands were specifically mentioned as being in New York. After Ellis Island was returned to the states by the federal government, New Jersey protested its being in New York. The Supreme Court eventually found that only the land that was part of the island in 1834 falls in New York. > **[FindLaw's United States Supreme Court case and opinions.](https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-supreme-court/volume)** > > FindLaw's searchable database of United States Supreme Court decisions Unfortunately, they really don’t mention Liberty Island, but I think it’s safe to say that certainly falls in New York, even if it is in New Jersey’s waters.