The Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry

So here is a great activity in New York which is completely free! A ride on the Staten Island ferry which showcases amazing views of the Statue of Liberty.

The Ferry is a fare-free passenger ferry route. Amazing, right? It is operated by the New York City Department of Transportation.  The ferry boats take about 25 minutes to reach their destination. It  runs 5.2 miles through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.

The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with boats leaving every 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes at other times.
Each boat carries 4,427 passengers with a crew of 16. The Newhouse and Barberi are the highest passenger capacity vessels in the world at 6000 passengers each

It is one of the last operating ferry systems in New York, the busiest ferry route in the United States and the world's busiest passenger-only ferry system. It transported people between Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs long before bridges were introduced. The northern shores of Staten Island were littered with piers, competing ferry companies vied for a place in the busy waters. Today, it provides almost 22 million people with ferry service annually.

The Ferry takes almost 70,000 passengers daily between St George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in Manhattan alone! The ferry is the only non-vehicular mode of transport between Staten Island and Manhattan.

Did you know that the ferry started in the 18th century? In fact, it wasn't always free. In 1817 the cost to cross the harbor was 25 cents and half price for children! The first ferry to make the now famous trip across New York harbor  was named the Manhattan. If you are interested in more fascinating and historic facts - here is a nice website.

In the 18th century, ferry service between Staten Island and the city of New York was conducted exclusively by private individuals using “per augers”. These were  twin-mast sailboats with a shallow draft and were used at the time for local traffic in New York harbor.

In the early 19th century, Vice President (and former New York governor) Daniel D. Tompkins secured a charter for the Richmond Turnpike Company as part of his efforts to develop the village of Tompkinsville. Although this was originally intended to build a highway across Staten Island, the company also received the right to run a ferry to New York.

Free for groups in New York: The Staten Island Ferry - for more free things for groups in New York, please contact us at The Shackman Group New York.