Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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.
Close-up View of the Statue
A close-up view reveals the awesome size of the Statue of Liberty. Dominating New
York harbor, shestands 305 ft(93 m)tall and weighs 200 tons. Her right arm carry-
ing the symbolic torch is 42 ft (13 m) long while her index finger measures 8 ft (2.4
m) and dwarfs most men.
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 con-
crete foundation within the 11-pointed, star-shaped walls of Fort Wood, a fortress
erected for the War of 1812.
Crown
Legend says that Bartholdi's mother was the
model for Liberty, but the face was actually
basedonhisearlydrawingsforanever-commis-
sioned statue in Egypt. The seven rays of her
crown represent the seven seas and seven con-
tinents.
