Statue of Liberty
Address & Phone | Website | Operating Hours & Seasons |
National Park Service, Statue of Liberty National Monument Liberty Island New York, NY 10004-1467 (212) 363-3200 |
www.nps.gov/stli |
May 2-May 27: the first ferry departs from mainland at 9:00AM. May 28-September 5: the first ferry departure is at 8:30AM Please note that wait times to board ferries are often over 90 minutes. If you have a reservation to enter any level of the Monument you are required to complete a secondary security screening which also entails an additional wait time of 20-30 minutes. Visitors with reservations MUST complete this process before 3:30 PM and no exceptions are made. If you have reservations or wish to visit Liberty AND Ellis Island, The National Park Service STRONGLY suggest boarding a ferry leaving mainland by 1PM. It is essential that you factor in security clearance and ferry transportation times when planning your trip. The last boat off of Liberty Island is at 5:00 PM, from Ellis Island at 5:15 PM. Visitors choosing to arrive on the final ferry departure from mainland may only visit Liberty Island. Liberty and Ellis Islands are open daily except December 25th. |
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an iconic symbol of freedom and of the United States.
Bartholdi was inspired by French law professor and politician Édouard René de Laboulaye, who commented in 1865 that any monument raised to American independence would properly be a joint project of the French and American peoples. Due to the troubled political situation in France, work on the statue did not commence until the early 1870s. In 1875, Laboulaye proposed that the French finance the statue and the Americans provide the pedestal and the site. Bartholdi completed both the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions. The arm was displayed in New York's Madison Square Park from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for the Americans, and by 1885 work on the pedestal was threatened due to lack of funds. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer of the World initiated a drive for donations to complete the project, and the campaign inspired over 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar. The statue was constructed in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe's Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland.
The statue was administered by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901 and then by the Department of War; since 1933 it has been maintained by the National Park Service. The statue was closed for renovation for much of 1938. In the early 1980s, it was found to have deteriorated to such an extent that a major restoration was required. While the statue was closed from 1984 to 1986, the torch and a large part of the internal structure were replaced. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, it was closed for reasons of safety and security; the pedestal reopened in 2004 and the statue in 2009, with limits on the number of visitors allowed to ascend to the crown. The statue is scheduled to close for up to a year beginning in late 2011 so that a secondary staircase can be installed. Public access to the balcony surrounding the torch has been barred for safety reasons since 1916.
*Liberty Island is federal property within the territory of the State of New York even though it is closer to New Jersey.
*Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi placed his Statue on a federally owned island called "Bedloe's" in New York Harbor. His original concept was to place a statue of a woman at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
Useful Information:
Location: Liberty Island, New York City, New York, U.S. - 11231 Coordinates: 40°41′21″N 74°2′40″W
Built: October 28, 1886 Architect: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi Visitation: 3.2 million (in 2007) Governing body: U.S. National Park Service Height of copper statue 151 ft 1 in (46 m)
Foundation of pedestal to tip of torch 305 ft 1 in (93 m) Heel to top of head 111 ft 1 in (34 m) Length of hand 16 ft 5 in (5 m)
Weight of copper used in statue 60,000 pounds (27.22 metric tonnes) Weight of steel used in statue 250,000 pounds (113.4 metric tonnes) Total weight of statue 450,000 pounds (204.1 metric tonnes) Thickness of copper sheeting 3/32 of an inch (2.4 mm)
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