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• The Statue of Liberty, located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, was given to the United States in the late 1800s by France as a symbol of friendship between the two nations. Since its erection in 1886, the statue has serve as a global symbol of freedom, especially for the hundreds of thousands of immigrants who entered the United States through nearby Ellis Island.

  Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, the crown of the Statue of Liberty was closed for security reasons. The crown was reopened to the public on July 4, 2009.

• Fast Facts

  1. Dedicated on October 28, 1886
  2. Functioned as a lighthouse from 1886 to 1902
  3. Her tablet is inscribed with the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
  4. One of the 20 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of the World contest
  5. "The New Colossus", a poem by Emma Lazarus, is inscribed on a bronze plaque in the interior of the pedestal
  6. Statue made of iron, but clad in copper
  7. Height of statue: 151 feet
  8. Height of statue including pedestal: 305 feet
  9. Statue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Brief History

  Designed by French architect Frederic Bartholdi in Paris, the statue was meant by the French government to be completed by 1876, the centennial of the writing of the Declaration of Independence. However, the statue was not completed until 1884 and arrived in New York City aboard a French frigate in 1885. The dedication ceremony for the statue took place in 1886, and a century later, the statue was restored and cleaned for a lavish centennial celebration. Visitors to the statue used to be able to climb up into the crown of the statue, affording a panoramic view of the city; but the crown was closed off after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In May of 2009, it was announced that the crown of the Statue of Liberty would be reopened on July 4, 2009.WashingtonPost.com: Statue of Liberty Crown to Reopen July 4th (May 8, 2009)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  MOMA Tickets | Manhattan | Ellis Island | Paris | New York | New Seven Wonders of the World | Statues of Easter Island | The Great Wall of China | Pyramids of Giza | Stonehenge | Sydney Opera House | Louis Caldera | new York City

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