Statue of Liberty Museum Store

"Hop aboard the Statue Cruises ferry, and you'll see two separate museums on two separate islands. On Liberty Island, the new Statue of Liberty Museum invites you up close to this iconic landmark. The glassed-in, modern building offers heart stopping glimpses of Lady Liberty. Set against the backdrop the New York City skyline, the views here are majestic. Inside the museum, a multi-media display reimagines the studio where French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi first created the Statue of Liberty in 1875. The construction process is laid out step-by-step, from a plaster model to the sheets of copper used to make the final form. Then nearby we see Liberty's original torch in a special display. It was rescued from the elements and replaced in the 1980s. This torch was held high for nearly 100 years - a touchstone for liberty around the world. The same ferry stops at Ellis Island, where the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration brings liberty into focus. This French Renaissance Revival building must have been intimidating for immigrants arriving in the New York Harbor. More than 12-million people passed through these doors between 1892 and 1954. Inside the large museum, the small objects feel the most personal. You'll see the baggage room where immigrants crowded upon their arrival. Wood, wicker, and metal trunks are piled high. We learn what was inside those trunks at the " "Treasures From Home" exhibit - personal objects like prayer books, beloved crockery, and hand-sewn linens. Nearby, a recreated dormitory shows the multi-tiered bunk beds, where thousands of people slept while waiting to enter the county. They had to pass medical exams, and those with health issues were turned away, calling this place the "Island of Tears.""