STATUE OF LIBERTY (Lady Liberty) on LIBERTY ISLAND (Bedloe’s Island)
Lady Liberty is an icon, a symbol of freedom and hope. My grandfather was a living example of knowing all she represented. After torturous travels on a boat from Germany to America on a boat named George Washington, my grandfather said the feeling he had when he first saw the Statue of Liberty was immense.
There were no words for the beauty of that statue and all it represented. He said he saw her standing prominently on Bedloe’s Island (later renamed ‘Liberty Island’ in 1956) in the distance and tears came to his eyes. They were relieved, they had made it and a cheer broke out. The way my grandfather had explained it, I would have thought this statue was higher than the tallest mountain. It actually stands 305 feet tall, but I imagined it as being even bigger.
France gave the statue to the United States in 1886 as a gift of friendship representing the ‘universal symbol of freedom and democracy’.
Designed by French sculptor, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, he seemed to know the harbor was a gateway to America/Freedom/and the capability to live your dreams so he chose Bedloe’s Island (now known as Liberty Island) as the place the statue must stand. It was created to celebrate the freeing of slaves, but has since been a symbol of so much more.
The Statue of Liberty was constructed in France, then disassembled and packed into crates. Four months later the 350 pieces were unpacked and reassembled on Bedloe’s Island.
The original torch is located in the museum. It was replaced in the 1980’s.
Tickets are limited to tour the crown for viewing so buy yours in advance online. Then pick them up at Battery Park’s Will Call window (Castle Clinton National Monument). There are 372 steps up to the crown or you can take the elevator inside the pedestal up to the 162nd step and climb from there. It is not for the weak at heart.
You can only bring three things up to the crown: 1- camera without a bag, 2- water in clear plastic, 3- any necessary medication (they do provide 12″ x 12″ x18″ lockers for a nominal fee if you need quick storage of extra items you have on you.)
I really enjoyed the museum under the statue and all it had to offer regarding how the Statue of Liberty came to be, how it was funded, and who was involved.
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- 5th Avenue
- Central Park / Literary Walk / Trump Rink
- The Dakota
- Metropolitan Museum
- Ground Zero / Freedom Tower/ One World Trade Center / 911 Memorial
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- Charging Bull
- Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge
- Ellis Island and Castle Clinton National Monument
- Statue of Liberty
- Architecture in New York