The Statue of Liberty, also known as Liberty Enlightening the World, was given to the United States by France as a sign of friendship between the two nations and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of United States’ independence in 1876.

Designers

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed the iron framework.

The pedestal that the Statue of Liberty stands upon was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

Design and Symbolism

This statue of the Goddess of Liberty stands for freedom and independence. In the left hand she holds a tablet with the date July 4, 1776 marked upon it. This date represents the Declaration of Independence. In her right hand she holds the Torch of Freedom. The broken chain seen near her feet symbolizes the victory of Liberty over Tyranny. The seven spikes on the statue’s crown represent the seven seas or the seven continents of the world.

The Statue of Liberty stands 151 feet tall from her sandals to the tip of her torch and weighs 225 tons. With the pedestal included the entire ensemble stands 305 feet tall.

The Statue of Liberty is made of thin copper plates were hammered into wooden forms and mounted onto a steel skeleton.

Inside are an elevator and a stairway that lead to the top of the pedestal where there is an observation deck in which visitors can view New York City and New York Harbor. At one time, a set of spiral stairs also led to the crown so that visitors could have a broad view of New York Harbor. Since September 11, 2001 this stairway has been closed.

Location and Visitor Information

The Statue of Liberty stands at the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor. Liberty Island is a 12-acre island that is now a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument that also includes Ellis Island, once an immigration center, and the American Museum of Immigration. The American Museum of Immigration is located inside the statue’s base.

Emma Lazarus wrote a poem for the Statue of Liberty called “The New Colossus”.

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Twenty years after she wrote the poem it was engraved on a bronze plaque and placed on a wall inside the museum. The plaque has been inside the museum since 1903.

On September 11, 2001 the Statue of Liberty was closed to the public to upgrade the security systems. On December 20, 2001 the exterior grounds were reopened and on August 3rd the pedestal interior was also reopened. The interior of the statue itself remains closed to the public but the interior can be viewed through a new glass ceiling.

To get to the island visitors must take a ferry and obtain a timed pass. The park is open daily except for December 25th.

Park rangers now give tours of the Statue of Liberty and the surrounding island. Ranger guided tours include the Promenade Tour and the Observation Tour.