The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of hope, peace, and freedom that welcomes immigrants to the United States. It stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor and has welcomed millions of immigrants who came through Ellis Island for many years until they closed in 1954
The Statue of Liberty was presented in 1883 as a gift from France to commemorate 100 years of independence. The French government commissioned sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi to design it and Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame) to build it.
The statue is made with copper sheets that were hammered by hand over an iron armature and then treated with an anti-corrosion chemical called patina, which provides the greenish color we all know today.
Fascinating Facts about the Statue of Liberty
1 The torch of Lady Liberty was restored in 1986 and it was covered in thin sheets of 24-karat gold.
2 Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was primarily intended for Egypt? Wow!
3 The foundation day of the Statue of Liberty was on October 28th, which corresponds to the date that the then American President accepted the statue from the French.
4 The function of the Statue of Liberty is to guide sailors and ships safe to their harbor.
5 Morbidly, two people have met their death jumping off Lady Liberty; one in 1929 and another in 1932. There are many others who jumped, but survived the fall.
6 From the pedestal to the head of the Statue of Liberty, it comprises of exactly 154 steps.
7 Did you know that the Statue of Liberty used to be a red-brown color? Due to oxidation, the statue has a green sheen to it now.
8 Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located, used to be known as Bledloe’s Island.
9 Although it cannot readily be seen, the Statue’s right foot is raised, as if stepping forward, and a broken shackle and chains lie in front of its feet to signify freedom from oppression.
10 The statue became a sign of immigration in the later part of the 19th century since this is one of the first things that immigrants see as they approach New York.
11 In 1984, the Statue of Liberty became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And each year, there are around 4 million people who visit the statue. Comparatively, 3.5-million visitors see The London Eye while 6-million visitors check out The Eiffel Tower.
12The statue is made out of a copper exterior and an iron infrastructure. And the 7 spikes on its head represent the 7 continents and 7 oceans of the world. It also has 25 windows on its crown.
What’s inside the Statue of Liberty?
In this walking Tour of the Statue of Liberty, you will learn all about the geography of the statue, its construction and history and facts. It also includes an overview of renovations of time and tour of inside the Statue of Liberty as well as the pedestal. It is just like being there in person on a tour!
Also see our facts about New York City – the city that never sleeps!
Hi I’m Jay. I grew up in Seattle, Washington and live in Los Angeles, California. I have travelled to 23 countries so far and planning to go explore more countries soon! My Favorite trips so far have been to Israel, Japan, Rome, Iceland and Australia. I started this site to share my love of travel with everyone and build a community of like-minded, free thinking, free exploring people.
