Statue of Liberty

One of the most recognizable icons in the world, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of kinship and freedom formed out of 31 tons of copper and standing 93m from ground to torch-tip. A joint effort between America and France to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence, it was created by commissioned sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. The artist spent most of 20 years turning his dream – to create the monument and mount it in the New York Harbor – into reality. Along the way it was hindered by serious financial problems, but was helped in part by the fund-raising efforts of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, as well as poet Emma Lazarus, who in 1883 published a poem called ‘The New Colossus’ as part of a fund-raising campaign for the statue’s pedestal. Her words have long since been associated with the monument and its connection to newly arrived immigrants:

'Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!'

Ironically, these famous words were added to the base only in 1903, more than 15 years after the poet’s death. Bartholdi’s work on the statue was also delayed by structural challenges – a problem resolved by the metal framework mastery of railway engineer Gustave Eiffel (of yes, the famous tower). The work of art was finally completed in France in 1884 (a bit off schedule for that centennial). It was shipped here as 350 pieces packed in 214 crates, reassembled over a span of four months and placed on a US-made granite pedestal for a spectacular October 1886 dedication.

The statue and Liberty Island were put under the administration of the National Park Service in 1933; in 1984 a restoration began on the Lady’s oxidized copper, and the UN placed it on a list of World Heritage Sites.

The most exciting news in years, though, came in 2009, when her crown was reopened to visitors for the first time since September 11, 2001. It had remained shuttered – along with the rest of the statue’s interior – due to heightened security restrictions, leaving visitors with permission to visit only the pedestal, climbing the 168 steps to its top. With its grand reopening, though, folks who reserve in advance (more on that in a minute) can climb the (steep) 354 steps to Lady Liberty’s crown, affording stunning views of the city and the harbor.

Now, for the bad news: crown access is extremely limited, and the only way in is to reserve your spot in advance – and the further in advance you can do it, the better, as up to a full one-year lead time is allowed. Also know that each customer may only reserve a maximum of four crown tickets.

Finally, although the ferry ride lasts only 15 minutes, a trip to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is an all-day affair, and only those setting out on the ferry by 1pm will even be allowed to visit both sites. All visitors will need to undergo a special security screening before their visit, and waiting for that process can take up to 45 minutes. Though reservations to visit the grounds and pedestal are not required (the other option is to buy a Flex Ticket, which lets you enter anytime within a three-day period), they are strongly recommended, as they give you a specific visit time and guarantee you’ll get in. Note that a less crowded approach to the statue is via Liberty State Park, which can be reached by car, taxi or a combination of the PATH train and light rail in New Jersey.