Statue Of Liberty Facts

These Statue of Liberty facts offer a brief history lesson on this memorable monument. The "green queen" holding the torch in New York City resonates as a symbol of freedom for not only "the city that never sleeps", but for America as a whole. Get caught up to speed on this historical artifact with these Statue of Liberty facts.

1. Her-story The history of the Statue of Liberty dates back to October 28th 1886 - the date of the official dedication ceremony. This massive statue was a gift to America from France to celebrate the camaraderie with the United States that developed during the American Revolution. The pedestal that the Statue of Liberty stands on was constructed in the United States, while the actual statue was created in France by a team lead by a sculptor named Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.. When the statue finally made its arrival to America by boat, it was broken down into 350 separate pieces that were stored in 214 crates.
2. Size matters. There is a reason that we frequently see the Statue of Liberty in pictures of New York City skylines - it stands 305 feet and 6 inches from the bottom of the its pedestal to the top of its torch. To make it from the pedestal foundation to the head will force your feet to encounter 154 steps. Her face alone is more than eight feet tall and each of the seven rays on her crown, representing the seven continents, is nine feet long and weigh approximately 150 pounds each.
3. Built to last. The Statue of Liberty is a mammoth structure that weighs 225 tons, which is the equivalent of 450,000 pounds. The exterior layer of the Statue of Liberty consists of 3/32 of an inch of copper, which is normally a brown metal. But the statue's green hue developed from the weathering that has taken place over the years. There was a restoration of the Statue of Liberty that took place in 1986 that reinforced the torch with 24k gold sheets.
4.  Exhibits of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty exhibit can be found on the second floor of the statues pedestal. Since July 1986, visitors have been able to experience this historical collection that includes photographs, videos, artifacts, and full-scale replicas of the foot and face of the Statue of Liberty.  There are individual sections of this museum dedicated to explaining the statue's construction, the fundraising that was required, its symbolism, and its firm place in popular culture.