In New York, tourists left high and dry as Statue of Liberty shuts down

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: Tourists who came to Battery Park in lower Manhattan hoping to catch a ferry to the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor got an unpleasant surprise on Saturday, learning the must-see destination was closed because of the US government shutdown. The National Park Service announced on Friday afternoon that it would close the historic statue and nearby Ellis Island to visitors if Congress failed to reach a funding deal by midnight. Apparently, not everyone got the word. “If they knew it was being shut down, they should have told us,” said Amparo Mendez, 17.The Argentine exchange student came to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan with a friend, having purchased tickets online last week to visit the statue and Ellis Island. “We came with the notion to see the Statue of Liberty, and it’s not the same to see it from here,” said her 16-year-old friend, Brunella Pettoroso, looking out at the majestic, green-tinged statue, a symbol of American democracy.