Statue of Liberty reopens to public Thursday July 4,2013

 

The Statue of Liberty reopens on July 4,2013 America's Independence Day, months after Superstorm Sandy swamped the little island on which it stands

 The reopening of Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island’s reopening came up on the occasion of the nation’s Independence Day, as the cultural icon saw its restoration in less than nine months after nature ravaged the city on October 29,2012

The U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, National Park Service Director Jonathan B Jarvis, and other dignitaries were also present at the ceremony and ribbon cutting on Liberty Island

About the Statue

 

The statue’s full name is Liberty Enlightening the World.It was a gift from France, given to America in 1886.

The robed female figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom.She holds a torch and tablet upon which is inscribed the date of American Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)

The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world, indicating the universal concept of liberty.

From the ground to the top of the torch the statue measures 93 metres, and weighs 204 metric tonnes.

Visitors have to climb 354 stairs to reach the statue’s crown

Designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, with internal structural elements engineered by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the statue stands on a 12-acre island atop the former Fort Wood.

Approximately 4million people visit the statue each year. In comparison, over 6m people visit The Eiffel Tower, and 3.5m visit The London Eye

The island in which it stands was previously called Bedloe Island, but its name was changed in 1956 to Liberty Island.

The statue functioned as a lighthouse for 16 years (1886-1902), lighting a distance of up to 24 miles away.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the statue was closed for security reasons, with the pedestal reopening in 2004, and the statue in 2009, but only a limited number of visitors are able to go up to the crown.The statue was again closed in 2012 due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, with the island off limits to the public.

The statue will be celebrating its 127th birthday in October 2013.