Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Statue of Liberty
The figure presiding over New York harbor, officially titled “Liberty Enlightening
the World,” has been a harbinger of freedom for millions since her inauguration
by President Grover Cleveland in 1886. The statue, a gift of friendship from the
French to mark the U.S.'s 100th birthday in 1876, was designed by the French
sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, who devoted 21 years to the project.
Slow fundraising on both sides of the Atlantic delayed the unveiling by 10
years, but no problem was encountered financing the
$100 million restoration for the statue's 100th birthday.
Her unveiling on July 3, 1986, was the occasion for the
largest fireworks display ever seen in the U.S.
Top 10 Features
1 Castle Clinton National
Monument
2 Battery Park
3 Boat Ride
4 Close-up View of
the Statue
5 Pedestal
6 Crown
7 Torch and Book
8 Frame
9 Views
0 Historical Exhibits
Battery Park
With statues and mon-
uments honoring everyone
from New York's first Jewish
immigrants to the U.S. Coast
Guard, the park is also a
great spot for sea-gazing.
Restoration celebrations,
July 3, 1986
Crowds can be heavy,
so an early departure
is advised. A cafeteria
is available on site.
For the best photos,
sit on the right of the
boat going out, the
left coming back.
Close-up View
of the Statue
A close-up view reveals
the awesome size of
the Statue of Liberty.
Dominating New York
harbor, she stands
305 ft (93 m) tall and
weighs 225 tons. Her
right arm carrying the
symbolic torch is
42 ft (13 m) long
while her index finger
measures 8 ft (2.4 m)
and dwarfs most men.
• Take the 1 or 9 train to
South Ferry, 4 or 5 train
to Bowling Green, or the
R or W train to Whitehall
Street to get to Battery
Park by subway.
• Ferries leave from
Castle Clinton, Battery
Park, every 30-45 min-
utes between 8:30am-
3:30pm daily.
• www.nps.gov/stli
Boat Ride
The views from the
ferries that carry a constant
stream of visitors from
Manhattan and Jersey City
to the Statue of Liberty and
on to Ellis Island are dramatic.
Pedestal
Richard Morris Hunt,
one of America's most
prestigious architects, was
chosen to design the 89-ft
(27-m) pedestal of the Statue
of Liberty. The pedestal sits
on a concrete foundation
within the 11-pointed,
star-shaped walls of Fort
Wood, a fortress erected
for the War of 1812.
Castle Clinton National Monument
Built as a fort in 1807, it is now a visitor center
for Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island visitors. The
building exhibits panoramas of New York history.
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