# Where is the Statue of Liberty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536 "2003-03-06T18:01:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/1 "2003-03-06T18:01:29Z")
Maybe David Copperfield put it back in the wrong spot, but everything about NYC suggests it is IN the state of NY! I swear I was always taught it is in NY! But, is it really within the borders of NJ??? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/2 "2003-03-06T18:11:16Z")
No it’s part of NYC & NYS. Who sez different? ---
**Author:** ![yakboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a3d4f5/32.png) [@yakboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yakboy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/3 "2003-03-06T18:16:17Z")
Well the National Park Service page [www.nps.gov/stli/](http://www.nps.gov/stli/) indicates that the address is: Liberty Island New York, NY 10004 But I recall hearing that there is/was a dispute between NY and NJ regarding in which state the statue resides. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/4 "2003-03-06T18:16:48Z")
Well, truth be told, yes the SOL and Liberty Island are “within the territorial boundaries of NJ.” But they still belong to NYS & NYC. But all of that is sort of moot because they are a national monument. And Uncle Sam is the big dog. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/5 "2003-03-06T18:21:57Z")
yakboy, the island in dispute is Ellis Island, which the Supreme Court ruled was part (the old part) NY and part (the newer landfilled part) NJ. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/6 "2003-03-06T18:23:55Z")
[http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/NY/NewYorkStatueofLiberty.html](http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/NY/NewYorkStatueofLiberty.html) > [@](#): > > Some people also believe that the the statue is is New Jersey, not New York. This is an urban myth. While Liberty Island is geographically closer to New Jersey than New York, it is part of the Empire State the same way Staten Island is, even though it, too, is closer to New Jersey than New York City. There was, however, a long-standing dispute between the states of New York and New Jersey over the Ellis Island immigration station. After it was abandoned, the island was converted into a popular tourist attraction, which infuriated New Jersey. The Garden State had given the island to New York for immigration use, and now wanted a piece of the tax revenue being generated by the tourists. In the 1990’s a federal court ruled that the Ellis Island immigration station is, indeed, part of the state of New York. However, it also ruled that all of the land added to the island by New York since it was originally donated is part of New Jersey since the island was expanded into New Jersey waters. So when you visit, you can stand inside the building and be in New York, then step outside and be in New Jersey. and [http://www.holysmoke.org/w001/007.htm](http://www.holysmoke.org/w001/007.htm) ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/7 "2003-03-06T18:26:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Some people also believe that the the statue is is New Jersey, not New York. This is an urban myth. While Liberty Island is geographically closer to New Jersey than New York, it is part of the Empire State the same way Staten Island is, even though it, too, is closer to New Jersey than New York City. . The res of the article is [www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/NY/NewYorkStatueofLiberty.html+statue+of+liberty+new+jersey+or+new+york&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:BchfTx-lojcC:%5Burl)]here. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/8 "2003-03-06T18:26:56Z")
it’s not really a moot point. As I understand the dispute (off the top of my head so I’m open to correction). . . There was a recent court case over the legal location of Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Apparently, one or both were originally part of NY but were expanded with landfill which extended them into the boundaries of New Jersey. Why does anybody care? Well, they are areas of heavy tourist trade and a significant amount of dollars are spent on gifts, refreshments and souveniers. That means sales tax dollars! Again, money rules everthing and if a state can get those dollars away from another state . . . Yippee, free money!!! I think the Federal court ruled in favor of New York but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/9 "2003-03-06T18:31:16Z")
Bah, I knew I should have previewed. Let’s try that again. [http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/NY/NewYorkStatueofLiberty.html](http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/US/NY/NewYorkStatueofLiberty.html) ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/10 "2003-03-06T18:32:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spartydog \* > \*\*it’s not really a moot point. As I understand the dispute (off the top of my head so I’m open to correction). . . > > There was a recent court case over the legal location of Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Apparently, one or both were originally part of NY but were expanded with landfill which extended them into the boundaries of New Jersey. > > Why does anybody care? Well, they are areas of heavy tourist trade and a significant amount of dollars are spent on gifts, refreshments and souveniers. That means sales tax dollars! Again, money rules everthing and if a state can get those dollars away from another state . . . Yippee, free money!!! > > I think the Federal court ruled in favor of New York but I could be wrong. \*\* They answer that in the article as well. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/11 "2003-03-06T18:35:22Z")
My information may be out of date on this, but this is what I remember as part of the 'controversy". There was restoration work done a few years ago on the statue. The workmen built a footbridge to take them from Liberty Park, in NJ, to the statue every day - a distance of maybe 1/4 miles. The State of NY wanted the bridge destroyed after the work was done so that the only way tourists could get to the Statue of Libery was by taking a boat from Manhattan. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@King\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/12 "2003-03-06T20:05:53Z")
One of the things that is interesting about this case is that disputes between states is one of the very few instances when the U.S. Supreme Court has _original_ jurisdiction. > **[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 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/13 "2003-03-06T20:19:32Z")
Right you are, **King Rat**. > [@](#): > > In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and those in which a state shall be party, the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction. In (Article III Section 2.) [sub]Quoting the Constitution is so much fun.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-statue-of-liberty/159536/14 "2003-03-06T20:46:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CBCD \* > \*\*My information may be out of date on this, but this is what I remember as part of the 'controversy". There was restoration work done a few years ago on the statue. The workmen built a footbridge to take them from Liberty Park, in NJ, to the statue every day - a distance of maybe 1/4 miles. The State of NY wanted the bridge destroyed after the work was done so that the only way tourists could get to the Statue of Libery was by taking a boat from Manhattan. \*\* I don’t know about any foot bridge, but I can tell you that you can get to both Ellis Island the the Lady by boat from New Jersey, as I have taken that ride. IIRC (it’s been 11 years) you take the NJ turnpike to about exit 14 and to east to Liberty(?) park and catch the boat.