Is there a museum inside the Statue of Liberty?

Lady Liberty's legacy expanded with the opening of the Statue of Liberty Museum in May 2019. Housed within the Statue of Liberty Museum are three interactive galleries that tell the statue's history in thought-provoking ways. Each gallery is designed to inspire visitors.



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If you want to go inside the Statue of Liberty, you must buy a Pedestal Access or Crown Access ticket. General Admission tickets do not get you access inside the statue. If you are interested in tours of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, read more below.

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I don't think people realize just how steep and tight the stairway up is! The statue museum is amazing and it was just surreal to see it up close! The views from the ferry are better... but it is so worth it to plan ahead and book tickets to climb to the crown at least once in your life!

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It's worth the visit but you have to be fit to climb up those 315 steps, in a tiny staircase at the end. Just be aware of the security: they do not allow you to take anything with you except your tickets and your camera, if you go to the crown.

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Since the Statue of Liberty was so close to Black Tom Island, the shrapnel from the explosion ended up damaging the torch, made of copper and glass. The damage was so severe that to this day, tourists are not permitted to climb into the torch.

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The torch has been closed since the Black Tom explosion of July 30, 1916, which was one of the largest acts of sabotage to our nation prior to the event of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Many people think they've been there and confuse it with climbing a spiral staircase which goes to the crown.

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You can find the original torch on display in the Statue of Liberty Museum. Tour Guide Tip: Today, the statue is visible at night due to a series of floodlights placed around Liberty Island and the balcony of the torch. These weren't installed until the 1950s!

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Luckily, for the Statue of Liberty, there are quite a few options. Seeing Lady Liberty for free does mean only getting to take a photo of her. There's no free option for visiting Liberty Island and physically going inside the statue.

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IS THE STATUE OF LIBERTY CROWN OPEN? Yes, as of October 11, 2022, the Crown of the Statue of Liberty is now open.

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Visitors to Liberty Island can tour the grounds and, with appropriate advanced tickets, visit the Statue's pedestal and crown. Visitors can also explore the Statue of Liberty Museum.

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By 1980, corrosion and leaks from rain along with damage from the bombing had rendered the original torch damaged well beyond repair it was removed from the statue on July the 4th 1984 and replaced with a gold-plated replica that remained much more faithful to the original version and design by the end of 1984 the old ...

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3. Lady Liberty is struck by lightning 600 times every year. Standing proud, exposed to the elements, the statue has to withstand around 600 lightning bolts every year and, in high winds, the torch can sway by about 5 inches side-to-side!

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The National Park Service had gradually opened parts of the Statue of Liberty throughout the pandemic. The observation deck on the statue's pedestal reopened in July 2021, but the crown had been kept off limits until Tuesday.

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With 31 tons of copper and 125 tons of steel, the scrap value of the Statue of Liberty comes in at $227,610, far below two of the most expensive statues in the world. But that's what happens when you use millions worth of gold and bronze.

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Without proper planning, many people end their visit much later than expected, so make sure to leave plenty of time to see everything without feeling rushed. At a minimum, you should budget two hours for the Statue of Liberty and an additional hour if you plan to visit Ellis Island as well.

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Inevitably weekends are busier than mid-week, but it really is all relative and there is truly no quiet time to visit the statue. Our recommendation is to catch the first ferry departures Tuesday–Thursday if you really want to beat the crowds and get inside the museums ahead of anybody else.

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Yes, the elevator takes you to the Pedstal, not to the crown. You have to walk up the winding staircase that you can only go one way (not enough room for 2 people side by side).

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