What is the Statue of Liberty?
The Statue of Liberty is a monument in New York City. A gift from France to the United States in 1886, it was built to symbolize the friendship between the two countries that went all the way back to the Revolutionary War.
It was designed by a man named Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who saw the statue as a powerful symbol welcoming all those to the United States, and since then she has become one of the most famous representations of freedom in the world.
The statue is 151 feet (46 meters) tall from base to tip of torch, and weighs over 450,000 pounds. She is dressed in traditional Greek robes and wears a crown with seven spikes (that represent the seven continents), and famously holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet inscribed with the date of the Declaration of Independence (July 4th 1776!) in her left.
Exploration
Did you know?Here are some fun facts about Lady Liberty "" how many do you already know?Liberty's birthday is October 28th, 1886 which is when she was officially "welcomed" to the U.S. by President Grover Cleveland with a dedication ceremony.The inspiration and model for Lady Liberty's face is said to be based on the designer's mother, who he was very close to.The statue was especially built to stand against strong weather "" on especially windy days, it will sway as much as three inches!The Liberty statue in New York Harbor isn't the only version in the world "" smaller versions have been erected in France, Japan, and Las Vegas Nevada as well.The statue was originally used as a lighthouse from 1886 until 1902, during which time the lights could be seen for 24 miles!It is 305 feet (93 meters) from the ground to the very tip of the torch.Her feet are 25 feet (7.5 meters) long, which means she wears a size 879 shoe!
Further Information
After the September 11 attacks, Liberty Island was closed to visitors for three months, and the monument itself for almost three years! It was finally reopened in August 2004, but visitors weren't allowed inside the statue's crown and interior again until July 4, 2009. Though some said this was due to terrorist threats, it was actually to provide time to make repairs and revamp out of date emergency measures