Was the Statue of Liberty always green?

The Statue of Liberty is an iconic blue-green symbol of freedom. But did you know she wasn't always that color? When France gifted Lady Liberty to the U.S., she was a 305-foot statue with reddish-brown copper skin. Her color change is thanks to about 30 years' worth of chemistry in the air of New York City harbor.



No, the Statue of Liberty was not always green. Its iconic green color is the result of a natural chemical process.

When the statue was unveiled in 1886, it was the color of a shiny new penny—a dull brownish-gold. This was its original color because its “skin” is made of copper sheets, about the thickness of two pennies.

The Transformation:

The change happened due to patination, a process where copper reacts with elements in the air.

  • The Science: Over time, the copper reacted with oxygen, sulfur, and chloride in the atmosphere (especially from sea spray and industrial pollution in New York Harbor). This formed a protective layer of various copper compounds, primarily copper carbonate, which is that distinctive blue-green color.
  • The Timeline: The statue began to show signs of tarnishing within a few years. By 1900, it had fully transformed to the green color we know today. The process was complete about 20-30 years after its unveiling.

An Important Note:

While the green patina is now a cherished part of the statue’s identity, it wasn’t universally loved at first. In the early 1900s, there were serious debates about painting or cleaning the statue to restore its original copper color. Fortunately, engineers recognized that the patina actually protects the underlying copper from further corrosion, acting as a natural shield. For this reason, it was left alone.

So, in summary: The Statue of Liberty started as a brownish-copper color and gradually turned green over a couple of decades due to natural weathering. Its green “skin” is now an essential, protective part of its structure

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The biggest myth is that the statue was a gift from the French government to the American government. The statue was the brainchild of French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who visited Egypt as a young man and was inspired by the statuary there to build a colossus, says Mitchell.

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At the turn of the century, it took longer to form the color we see today's New York air, it would take about 10 years to achieve, but at the turn of the century, it was nearly 25 years before the patina was full-blown. And, America loved the blue-green look of the Lady.

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We're kidding...mostly. It all comes down to chemistry. In her first few decades in the Big Apple, the statue slowly turned from that shiny copper color to a dull brown and then, finally, to the blue-green, or as they'd say back in France, verdigris ; on screen - green of Greece] we see today.

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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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Answer and Explanation: There are two genuine statues and several lesser versions of the Statue of Liberty. The original and most famous is the one located on Liberty Island, a gift from the French to America. The second is located in Paris, France, and was a reciprocal gift from the United States in 1889.

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5 Things You May Not Know About the Statue of Liberty
  • The statue represents a Roman Goddess. ...
  • The crown's spikes represent the oceans and continents. ...
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  • Gustave Eiffel helped to build it. ...
  • Lady Liberty's face is modelled on the artist's mother.


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The Statue of Liberty is a 305-foot (93-metre) statue located on Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay, off the coast of New York City.

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