The Staten Island Ferry -- A Great Way to Begin

Nothing is as captivating as a ride on the Staten Island Ferry!  The 5 mile, 25 minute "voyage" leaves from Battery Park (Whitehall Terminal) at the southern tip of Manhattan.  The schedule varies, but at the busiest times, you can catch a ferry every 15-20 minutes.  The ride also provides a majestic view of New York Harbor and it is free!  One guide book calls it "One of the world's greatest (and shortest) water voyages." From the deck of the ferry you will have a perfect view of The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. You'll see the skyscrapers and bridges of Lower Manhattan receding as you pull away and coming into focus again as you return. There is so much harbor activity to witness, to point out to the kids and many opportunities to ask inquiry questions.  Once on the Staten Island side, you have to exit the boat and if you want to return immediately, you have to re-board to same or the next boat.  

If you want to explore a bit of Staten Island, you can easily walk to the 9/11 Memorial on Staten Island.  The short walk from the ferry terminal along the harborfront offers spectacular views of the lower Manhattan skyline and there is a playground nearby.

To get to the ferry terminal on the Manhattan side, use any of the folowing subway or bus routes:

•  to South Ferry
•   to Bowling Green or Wall St
•         ot Broadway-Nassau/Fulton St
•   to Wall St
•   to Broad St
•   to Whitehall St or Rector St
• M5, M20 and M15 SBS buses.