New York - Holidaymakers visiting New York can now book a place on a tour of the Statue of Liberty's crown over the internet. Tickets can be reserved at www. statuecruises. com and cost three dollars each. A place can be reserved up to a year in advance.

A maximum of three groups of 10 people will be allowed to visit the crown of the Statue every hour. Each visitor may reserve only one ticket every six months.

The statue's crown is due to be re-opened to the public on July 4. It has been closed since the September 11 attacks on New York in 2001.

"After the attacks you could enter the statue's base. But now tourists can go right to the top," says Peter Mierzwiak from New York's tourist office in Munich, Germany.

The Statue of Liberty is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day. The first ferry to Liberty Island sets off from Battery Park in south Manhattan at 8.30 am and also calls at the former immigrant facility on Ellis Island.

A ferry ticket costs 11 dollars. "But you can save money if you plan to take in a few more sights by buying a City Pass which allows you access to seven places of interest," says Mierzwiak.(dpa)