Why is Liberty Island so important?

Liberty Island is a federally owned island in Upper New York Bay in the United States. Its most notable feature is the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World), a large statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi that was dedicated in 1886.



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The city of New York acquired the island in 1758, and it was ceded to the state of New York in 1796 and to the federal government in 1800. Fort Wood was built there for the War of 1812, and the statue was erected within the fort in 1885–86.

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While Bartholdi was designing the Statue, he also took a trip to the United States in 1871. During the trip, Bartholdi selected Bedloe's Island as the site for the Statue. Although the island was small, it was visible to every ship entering New York Harbor, which Bartholdi viewed as the gateway to America.

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The last residents of Liberty Island, superintendent David Luchsinger and his wife, Debbie, left the island in 2013. The Statue of Liberty Museum now occupies the side of the island where the residences used to be.

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Visitors arrive and depart Liberty Island and Ellis Island, located in New York Harbor, via ferries operated by Statue City Cruises. These ferries leave from two locations: The Battery, at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City, and Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.

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Federal ownership Liberty Island has been owned by the federal government since 1801, first as a military installation and now as a national landmark.

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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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The statue's crown has been off-limits since March 16 of 2020, when the National Park Service halted all public operations at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island because of the pandemic.

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The water around the Statue of Liberty is 62 feet at its deepest point between Liberty Island and the island of Manhattan. The water in New York Harbor is relatively deep, as it is a major shipping port.

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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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FAST FACTS The statue sways 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) in the wind; the torch sways 5 inches (12.7 centimeters). Visitors climb 354 steps (22 stories) to look out from 25 windows in the crown. The statue—151 feet, 1 inch (46 meters, 2.5 centimeters) tall—was the tallest structure in the U.S. at that time.

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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. ...
  • Lady Liberty is struck by lightning 600 times every year. ...
  • Gustave Eiffel helped to build it. ...
  • Lady Liberty's face is modelled on the artist's mother.


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Her crown has seven points that represent rays of light and also the seven seas and continents; the original name for the statue is “Liberty Enlightening the World.” There are broken chains, or shackles, at her feet that also symbolize her freedom.

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Is the Statue of Liberty an image of a man or woman? Classical images of Liberty have usually been represented by a woman. The Statue of Liberty's face is said to be modeled after the sculptor's mother.

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Is the Statue in New York or New Jersey? The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island, federal property administered by the National Park Service, located within the territorial jurisdiction of the State of New York. A pact between New York and New Jersey, ratified by Congress in 1834, declared this issue.

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All visitors must purchase a ticket to board the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands. All tickets are available to purchase up to six months in advance. Grounds Tickets are available daily and can be purchased via the Statue Cruises website or in-person at the Statue Cruises ticket booths.

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