Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty in New York City was a gift from the people of France in recognition of a friendship established during the American Revolution. Artist Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design the sculpture.

The Statue was a reassuring sign to immigrants coming from Europe that they had arrived in the land of their dreams, America.

The exterior of the Statue is made of copper, 3/32 of an inch thick. The Statue wasn’t always green in color. When copper is exposed to the oxygen in the air, it undergoes a chemical reaction called oxidation, adding a fine green crust or film that protects the metal underneath. It took nearly thirty years for her to change colors.

The nearly ten-story granite pedestal of the Statue was paid for entirely by private funds raised in the United States. It was designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt and engineered by former Civil War General Charles P. Stone.

In July 2009, President Barack Obama announced that the crown of the Statue would reopen to visitors.  There are plans to add an elevator and other improvements to ensure the safety of visitors in the event an evacuation is necessary.