Everything about the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is one of New York City's most popular attractions. No matter how many photos you've seen of her, nothing can compare with standing in front of the colossal statue—her arm raised high with a torch in her hand and broken shackles at her feet.

Undoubtedly, many of the immigrants "Miss Liberty" welcomed as they arrived in New York Harbor by boat in the late 19C and early 20C felt the same way. Perhaps she symbolized to them the promise of freedom, a new beginning, a better life. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum on neighboring Ellis Island offers much insight into the immigrant experience. A visit to this restored federal "processing center," through which some 12 million people gained permanent entry to the US between 1892 and 1954, should be part of your trip to the Statue of Liberty. East of Liberty Island, Governors Island is home to historic military installations.

Tip: If visiting New York, be sure to check out our New York hotel specials. We offer outstand-
ing specials on hotels in New York all year. (End of shameless plug) :-)

Accessible only by ferry.
All ferries make a circuit that includes both Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Ferries fs» $10 round-trip) leave every 25min Jul-Aug 8:30am-4pm (rest of the year every 45min 9am-3:30pm) from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan; the ferry ride takes about 15min. Same-day ferry tickets may be purchased at the ticket office inside Castle Clinton National Monument within Battery Park; advance tickets may be picked up at the Will Call window here. Ferries leave every 45 minutes in summer 8:30am-4pm from Liberty State Park in New Jersey (PATH subway to Hoboken; then take the Light Rail to Liberty State Park; open year-round daily 6am-8pm; 201-435-9499 ferries, 201-915-3440 park; www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests).

Points to Remember:

No ferry service Dec 25.

Ferries are boarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tip: Buy ferry tickets by phone or online at least two days (up to six months) in advance. There is a $1.75 surcharge per ticket, but in buying advance tickets you not only avoid long lines but receive a "time stamp" reserving your place on one of the National Park Service tours of the statue. If you have statue tour reservations, get to the boat 2hrs before your scheduled tour time.

Circle Line       212-269-5755.
www.statueoflibertyferry.com.

The History behind the Statue

Birth of a Notion - The friendship between France and the US dates back to the American Revolution. In 1865 French law professor Edouard-Rene de Laboulaye came up with the idea to present the American people with a memorial commemorating this friendship. Six years later, the committee he formed to make the idea a reality selected Alsatian sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904), who then traveled to America to study and promote the project.

A Sweeping View - In 1869 Bartholdi had attended the opening ceremonies of the Suez Canal in hopes of getting a commission for a huge statue-light­house at the entrance to the new canal. Unsuccessful in nabbing the contract, Statue of Liberty he turned his energy to creating a similar monument in the US.
When he entered New York Harbor, he was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the scene before him, and its significance as the main gateway to the New World. Then and there he knew that de Laboulaye's monument would be a figure of Liberty, and that one of the tiny harbor islands in this breathtaking setting would be an ideal site for it. To raise funds and coordinate matters regarding the statue, a Franco-American union was established, with de Laboulaye as president. The project was to be a joint effort— the French would underwrite the statue itself, and the Americans, the pedestal.

Liberty on the Rise - As work on the statue progressed, the cost of construction almost doubled. To reach their goal, the French launched a massive fund drive, and by 1884 Liberty Enlightening the World was complete. At a ceremony held July 4,1884, in Paris, the statue was presented to the ambassador of the US as a gift from the people of France. Following the festivities, Liberty was dismantled and packed in 220 crates, in preparation for the ocean voyage to her permanent home across the Atlantic.

Pulitzer's Pedestal - In the meantime little progress had been made in the US in rais­ing funds for the pedestal. Benefit balls, theatrical and sporting events, even a poetry contest were held, and in 1884 Liberty's arm, complete with torch, was exhibited in Madison Square. By 1885 the statue was ready for shipment to the US, but funds were still lacking. Due largely to the fund-raising campaign of Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911), the publisher of the New York World, donations were forthcoming. In front-page edi­torials, he criticized the rich for not providing funds, and encouraged all Americans to contribute as the masses of French people had. He promised to publish in his newspaper the name of every donor, no matter how small the gift. With this, the drive rapidly assumed a new impetus, and contributions began to pour in.

The Dedication - In May 1885 the French ship Isere, carrying its precious cargo, set sail from Rouen and about a month later dropped anchor in New York harbor. Bartholdi traveled once more to New York to confer with the engineers and the architect chosen to design the pedestal, Richard Morris Hunt, one of the leading American architects of the day. Hunt's final design blended in character and scale to form an integrated unit with the statue. October 28,1886—the day the festivities took place—was declared an official holiday in New York City. US president Grover Cleveland presided over the unveiling on Bedloe's Island (renamed Liberty Island in 1956). Dignitaries huddled at the foot of the statue while speech after speech was made. When the statue was unveiled, foghorns bellowed and a 21-gun salute sounded from nearby batteries. Liberty's crown was illuminated simultaneously, symbolizing prophetically the beacon of hope she would be to the millions who would flock to these shores.

Modern Liberty - For the most part Lady Liberty appears as she did at her dedica­tion. In 1956 Congress approved plans to expand the base of the statue to make room for a museum; the American Museum of Immigration was dedicated in 1972. Between 1984 and 1986 individuals and corporations donated $150 million to repair the statue (the exterior had suffered degradation in the salty air) and to re-land­scape the grounds in time for Liberty's centennial bash. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the statue was closed to visitors for three years. The pedestal and observation deck were reopened in late 2004, but the crown remains off limits. The torch has not been accessible since 1916.

Visiting the Staute

Ferry Crossing - On the brief (15min) ferry crossing, you'll get great views*** of the lower Manhattan skyline gradually receding into the background, and of the majestic and massive Statue of Liberty standing at the eastern end of the island, above the 11-point-star-shaped Fort Wood (1808-11). To your left, you'll see Governors Island, which can be toured in the summer.

Liberty Island - Ranger-guided tours of the island's grounds are offered free of charge at regularly scheduled times through the day (staff permitting). Program listings are posted at the island's Administration/Information building. Audio tours in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish and Japanese may be rented from the island's food and gift concessionaire ($6).

Originally known as Bedloe's Island, after Isaac Bedloe, a French-born merchant whose family owned it until 1732, the island was chosen as a site, along with Governors Island and Ellis Island, for a land battery in 1800. Begun in 1806, construction

There is no fee to visit the Statue of Liberty, but timed passes are needed for the guided tours—the only way to enter the monument.

A limited number of timed passes are available at the ferry ticket office on a first-come, first-served basis.

It's best to reserve in advance by calling the ferry company at 866-782-8834, or reserve online at www.statuereservations.com.

There is no entrance fee to the park grounds, which are open year-round daily 8:30am-5:15pm; closed Dec 25.

of Fort Wood was finished five years later; its zigzagging walls formed an 11-point star. For years the fort lay abandoned; in 1877 its site was chosen as the future home of the Statue of Liberty. You can still see the fortifications. Bordering the walk­way near the Statue of Liberty's pedestal are six slender sculptures by Phillip Ratner of key figures in the his­tory of the statue: de Laboulaye, Bartholdi, Eiffel, Hunt, Pulitzer, and Lazarus.

Inside the Monument - Visitors may enter the monument by guided tour only. There are two tours to choose from. The Promenade Tour (Ihr) includes the lobby, where the original torch is located, and the Statue of Liberty Exhibit. The Observatory Tour ( 90min) incorporates all the elements of the Promenade Tour, then proceeds to the observatory atop the pedestal, 10 stories above ground level. Here, visitors can wander the deck outside and peer up into the statue's copper interior.

Statue of Liberty Exhibit - Located on the second floor in the pedestal of the Statue, the exhibit traces the history and symbolism of the Statue of Liberty through museum objects, photographs, prints, videos and oral histories. In addition to historical artifacts and descriptive text, full scale replicas of the Statue's face and foot are also on display.

The Torch Exhibit - The Torch Exhibit includes the original 1886 torch and much altered flame in the lobby. On the second floor balcony overlooking this torch is a display on the history of the torch and flame, explaining the various alterations through diagrams, photographs, drawings and cartoons.

Observation Deck - At the top of the pedestal, this four-sided balcony provides spectacular views of the New York Harbor, lower Manhattan and the Financial District, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and New Jersey.