October 28, 2012

A newly renovated Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor officially reopened on Sunday, October 28, after a year-long, $27.25-million effort to make the monument safer and more accessible. However, the statue was closed again on Monday and Tuesday, October 29 and 30, because of Hurricane Sandy.

Once the momument reopens to the public on October 31, visitors will once again be able to climb all the way from Lady Liberty’s feet to her head to view the harbor and surrounding area from the crown. About 10 people can fit into the crown at one time. As visitors make the estimated 20-minute climb, they will also be able to examine the statue’s interior architecture and copper skin. About 3.5 million people visit the Statue of Liberty each year. During the renovations, Liberty Island, on which the statue stands, remained open, as did the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

Since the statue was closed on October 29, 2011, the United States Department of the Interior has installed improved stairways and upgraded electrical and fire-safety systems, elevators, and bathrooms. The additions include an elevator that will allow visitors with mobility challenges to ride to an observation deck at the top of the statue’s pedestal (base), higher than ever before, and to view the interior features of the statue.

The Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States and a beacon of freedom for immigrants, stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States in 1884 as an expression of friendship. The monument rises above star-shaped Fort Wood, built during the early 1800's. (c) George Goodwin, Monkmeyer

The statue’s complete name is Liberty Enlightening the World. It was given to the people of the United States by the people of France in 1884 as an expression of friendship and of the ideal of liberty shared by both peoples. French citizens donated the money to build the statue, and people in the United States raised the funds to construct the foundation and the pedestal. The French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue and chose its site. Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer who later built the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, designed the iron framework that supports the statue’s copper covering. Construction was completed in April 1886. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

Related World Book articles:

• Hunt, Richard M.
• Immigration
• Lazarus, Emma
• Statue of Liberty National Monument

October 28, 2011

Fireworks, a flotilla of ships, and a reading of Emma Lazarus’s  “The New Colossus” were among the events scheduled for a celebration on October 28, 2011, to mark the 125^th anniversary of the dedication of Statue of Liberty. Lazarus’s poem includes the famous lines, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free… .” In addition, five webcams attached to Lady Liberty’s torch were to begin streaming views of New York City and New Jersey unseen by anyone except maintenance crews since the torch was closed to tourists in 1916. From the 1890′s to the 1920′s, millions of immigrants passed the Statue of Liberty as they sailed into New York Harbor to begin lives as Americans.

The Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States and a beacon of freedom for immigrants, stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. George Goodwin, Monkmeyer

The statue’s complete name is Liberty Enlightening the World. It was given to the people of the United States by the people of France in 1884 as an expression of friendship and of the ideal of liberty shared by both peoples. French citizens donated the money to build the statue, and people in the United States raised the funds to construct the foundation and the pedestal (base). The French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue and chose its site. Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer who later built the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, designed the iron framework that supports the statue’s copper covering. Construction was completed in April 1886. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

On October 29, 2011, the interior spaces of the statue will be closed for a year-long renovation project. The $27.25-million project to make the interior safer and more accessible will include installing improved stairways and upgrading electrical and fire-safety systems, and elevators. Liberty Island, on which the statue stands, will remain open, as will the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. The statue underwent a series of major repairs in 1986. About 3.5 million people visit the Statue of Liberty each year.

Related World Book articles:

• Hunt, Richard M.
• Statue of Liberty National Monument

The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor will be closed for repairs for a year beginning on October 28, 2011, the 125^th anniversary of the monument’s dedication. The $27.25-million renovation will make the interior safer and more accessible, says United States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The project will include installing improved stairways and upgrading electrical and fire-safety systems, elevators, and bathrooms. Liberty Island, on which the statue stands, will remain open, as will the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. About 3.5 million people visit the Statue of Liberty each year.

Statue of Liberty

The statue’s complete name is Liberty Enlightening the World. It was given to the people of the United States by the people of France in 1884 as an expression of friendship and of the ideal of liberty shared by both peoples. French citizens donated the money to build the statue, and people in the United States raised the funds to construct the foundation and the pedestal (base). The French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue and chose its site. Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer who later built the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, designed the iron framework that supports the statue’s copper covering. Construction began in 1884 and was completed in April 1886.

Related World Book articles:

• Hunt, Richard M.
• Immigration
• Lazarus, Emma