What is in the second hand of the statue of liberty. Little-known interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty. Extreme "adventures" of the monument

The Statue of Liberty is located in the USA in New York City and is the symbol of the country. Few people know that the full name of the Statue of Liberty is "Liberty Enlightening the World." People are more accustomed to calling her simply "Statue of Liberty" or "Lady Liberty". This legendary statue is a gift from France in honor of the centenary of the American Revolution and is located on Liberty Island, a few kilometers southwest of Manhattan, in New York State. Bedloe Island was officially renamed Liberty Island by the lady with the torch in 1956, although the Americans began to call it that at the beginning of the 20th century.

Height of the Statue of Liberty in the USA is 93 meters along with a 47-meter pedestal. Lady Liberty stands on the wreckage of the chains. In her left hand she holds a tablet engraved in Roman numerals with a significant date for America - the day the US Declaration of Independence was signed - July 4, 1776, and in her right hand there is a torch that symbolizes the light that illuminates the path to freedom. To climb to the crown, visitors must climb 356 steps, where they can admire the wonderful panorama of New York, which they can admire directly from the main observation deck located in the crown. Here are 25 windows, which are considered to be symbols precious stones, and the 7 rays of the crown symbolize the seas and continents in accordance with the traditions of Western geography. Inside the Statue of Liberty itself is a museum dedicated to the history of the creation of the statue. It can be accessed by taking the elevator.

History of the Statue of Liberty in the USA.

The author of the project of the Statue of Liberty is the French sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. The French engineer Alexandre Gustav Eiffel, the creator of eiffel tower. However, both the French and the Americans worked on the construction of the entire monument. For example, the star-shaped plinth was designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt.

Parts of the body of the future statue were cast in France, and the pedestal was created in the USA. Within 4 months, the statue was assembled together. Bartholdi was somewhat mistaken in his calculations: as it turned out, the materials allocated for the construction of the statue were categorically lacking, so all kinds of concerts, lotteries and charity evenings were organized, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the purchase of materials. Americans are extremely reluctant to part with their money, so the American journalist Joseph Pulitzer in his newspaper " The World” wrote several articles calling on the upper and middle classes of society to take part in the construction of a symbol of US independence. His words contained such sharp criticism that it had an effect, and funds began to flow from all over the country. By joint efforts, by the end of the summer of 1885, the entire amount was finally collected. By that time, the French had just completed their half of the work, and the finished parts of the statue were delivered to America on the frigate Isère in July 1885. The valuable cargo occupied more than 200 boxes and consisted of 350 body parts of Lady Liberty.

Grand opening of the statue took place on October 28, 1886 with the participation of US President Grover Cleveland. An interesting fact is that only men were present at the opening ceremony, despite the fact that the statue was a symbol of democracy. As an exception, only a few women were allowed on the island, among whom was Bartholdi's wife.

Since 1924 statue of liberty in usa belongs to the national monuments, and the island itself gained the title national park USA. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty and the entire island were declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

Currently, the monument is illuminated by laser illumination, the statue has been repeatedly restored, acquiring new elements, but in general, the original appearance has been preserved.

To get to Lady Liberty every year more than 5 million tourists go to short trip on a ferryboat. Entrance to the monument itself is free, but you will have to pay for the ferry. For many years The Statue of Liberty in the United States remains a symbol of the country's independence and calling card New York.

The most famous symbol of America is the sculpture "Liberty Enlightening the World". Many are aware that it was a gift from France, but few people know which country else participated in its creation, albeit indirectly.

Also from the article it will be possible to learn about some interesting facts related to the construction, installation and operation of the statue. And also you will know the names of those who made a lot of effort to create a monument.

What was the gift for?

It is known who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But what was this gift dedicated to? In 1876, France decided to present a present for the centenary of US independence. It took years to raise funds for this idea. The French and Americans took part in this. But while the statue was erected, several years had passed, and the anniversary of independence had already passed.

"Lady Liberty" holds a tablet in her hand, on which the date of signing is written in Latin, namely "July 4, 1776". In 1883, Emma Lazarus' sonnet "The New Colossus" was dedicated to the statue. Lines from it were engraved on a plate in 1903 and attached to the pedestal of the sculpture.

History of creation

The story began with the decision of France to entrust this work to the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Further, the countries agreed that the pedestal would be built by American forces, and the sculpture - at the expense of the French. Who else was involved in the creation of the gift?

For your attention - a list of those who gave America the Statue of Liberty:

• Frederic Bartholdi designed appearance and gave his wishes as to where the Lady Liberty would be best placed;
• and his assistant Maurice Koechlin created drawings of a massive steel support and supporting frame;
• Richard Morris designed the pedestal for the sculpture;
• US General William Sherman chose the site for the statue;
• Ulysses Grant is the President of the United States who supported the idea of ​​creating a symbol of Freedom.

The sculpture was completed in 1884. She was delivered disassembled on the frigate Ysere to New York Harbor a year later. It took more than two hundred boxes to do this. It took four months to assemble official opening took place on October 28, 1886. Despite the fact that the gift was ten years late for the centenary, many honored guests gathered for its opening, including US President Grover Cleveland. If it were not for such a belated opening of the monument, then the people of America heard a congratulatory speech from which 07/04/1976 still held this post.

Russian trace

In addition to the French and Americans, according to some sources, Russians are also involved in sculpture. The copper sheets with which it was covered were purchased in Russia. They were made at the Nizhny Tagil plant. However, many researchers have already been able to refute this fact. The fact is that in those days there had not yet been laid in Nizhny Tagil Railway. The researchers concluded that the copper was brought from Norway, although there is no documentary evidence for this.

Who gave America the Statue of Liberty? Regardless of whether there was a Russian or Norwegian trace in this, it was the French people who initiated and created the symbol of freedom.

Selecting a location for installation

Where is the Statue of Liberty today? As at the time of its installation, it is located on an island three kilometers southwest of Manhattan (its southern part), in New York. Before the appearance of the statue, it was called Bedloe's Island. After the installation of a French gift on it, the people began to call it the island of Liberty. In 1956 it was officially renamed.

Use of the statue

For the entire period of its existence, the well-known symbol of America was not just an architectural monument. Initially, it was planned to be used as a lighthouse. Practice has shown that the lamps in the torch were weak and inefficient. From the unit that managed the lighthouses, the figure was transferred to the military department, and later to the service that dealt with national parks.

By 1924, the exhibit became a US National Monument, and was later included in the UNESCO list.

How was the Statue of Liberty used? different years? She had the following incarnations:

• lighthouse;
• museum;
• Observation deck.

During the entire existence of the figure, it was repaired many times, but the most global work was carried out in 1938 and 1984.

The reader already knows who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But few people know that the sculpture depicts ancient Greek (some historians agree on this). This goddess was the mistress of hell, and the torch was used by her in underworld. In addition, she was considered the patroness of witchcraft, insanity, madness, obsession. Hecate was depicted with horns on her head, but they can be seen at the statue in the form of rays of light. Although it is believed that in fact Bartholdi embodied the image of the ancient Roman goddess Libertas.

The right hand holding the torch crossed Atlantic Ocean three times. It was first transported in 1884 to Philadelphia for the World's Fair, after which it was returned back. The third time the hand swam across the ocean with all the other parts of the statue.

After the events of September 11, 2001, access to the island and the symbol of America was closed. By 2012, access was fully open, up to the crown. You can go up the stairs or take the elevator. To reach the crown, you need to go through 356 steps. On observation deck 25 windows were created that offer a view of the harbor.

There are many smaller copies in the world. For example, in Paris, Tokyo, and more than two hundred copies are in America itself.

It is believed that the number of rays on the crown symbolize the seven continents, according to Western geographical tradition.

By 1886, the torch was badly damaged by corrosion and it was replaced with a new one, which was covered with 24-carat gold.

The Statue of Liberty was built on October 28, 1886. The French gave the statue to the American people as a token of friendship between France and America. Over the past years, the monument has been recognized not only as the personification of the friendship of the two peoples (which has receded far into the background), but also as a symbol of the freedom of the American people, a symbol of the United States and New York as a whole.

The creation of the monument was entrusted to the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. A deadline was set - by 1876 it was necessary to complete the monument, timed to coincide with the centenary of the US Declaration of Independence. It is believed that this is a joint Franco-American project. Americans worked on the pedestal, and the statue itself was created in France. In New York, all parts of the Statue of Liberty were assembled into a single whole.

After the start of construction, it became clear that much more funds were needed than originally planned. On both sides of the ocean, a large-scale fundraising campaign, lotteries, charity concerts, and other events were initiated. When calculating the design parameters huge statue Bartholdi needed the help of an experienced engineer. Alexander Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, personally designed the strong iron support and frame that allows the statue's copper shell to move freely while maintaining the balance of the monument itself.

Pictured: Alexander Gustav Eiffel

After September 11, 2001, the statue and the island were closed due to terrorist threat, but in 2009 the tours were resumed. You can climb the statue itself and its crown, but the torch is still closed. All visitors are subjected to a personal search in order to avoid a terrorist act.

Another interesting fact is that a wind of 100 km/h causes the monument to sway 7.62 cm, while the torch will sway 12.7 cm. Cleveland delivered the following speech:

"We will always remember that Liberty has chosen this place as her home, and oblivion will never cover her altar."

When asked where the Statue of Liberty is located, everyone will probably answer immediately and without delay: “In America!”. In our time, this country without a monument that would so vividly signal the freedom of speech, thought and democracy is rather difficult to imagine, and perhaps even impossible. Some are surprised by the size of this sculpture (after all, its height, together with the pedestal, is no less than 93 m), others like the idea embodied in the statue, others consider it one of greatest monuments contemporary art.

The real name of this statue sounds a little different and translated from English means: "Freedom that illuminates the world" . Although most believe that since the Statue of Liberty is in America, it means that it was born there, in fact, this is not the case. This steel woman is the most Frenchwoman: she was made in France and a resident of this country served as a prototype for her. As for the sculpture itself, it is a gift from the French in honor of the centenary of America's independence.

The Statue of Liberty in New York is not the largest monument in the world, but its height, like other parameters, is still amazing (if only because one of her tiny nails weighs about one and a half kilograms):

• The height of the monument is about 47 m;
• The height of the pedestal is 46 m;
• The weight of copper sheets is 31 tons, while their thickness is 2.57 mm;
• The steel structure and frame weigh -125 tons;
• The weight of the concrete base is 27 thousand tons.

Despite their rather impressive size, in the presence of strong wind the statue of Liberty sways a little - the range of oscillation in some cases may well be about 7.6 cm, for the torch - even more - about 12.7 cm. This does not affect its stability in any way, since the development of a structure made of a strong iron support and a frame that allows Eiffel himself, the creator of the famous French tower, was engaged in moving the statue, maintaining the balance of the monument.

What is the monument made of?

Since the stone is quite difficult to process, and besides, it is extremely heavy during transportation (especially across the ocean), it was decided to make the Statue of Liberty in the USA hollow inside, and sheathe the steel support with sheets made of copper. The development of a massive frame was entrusted to Gustave Eiffel, and the Parisian firm of Cage and Gauthier took up the sheathing (at the same time, sheets were minted in wooden molds, and copper was purchased in Russia).

It is noteworthy that the Statue of Liberty is green these days. So, it was not always - as soon as it was installed - it was a bright, golden-orange tone.

Such a transformation occurred for a rather banal reason: the copper sheets with which it was sheathed oxidized after a few decades - and turned green, so only written memories remained about the previous color of this monument.

What does the monument look like?

By itself, the Statue of Liberty in the United States looks grandiose and majestic. The monument is located on Liberty Island near Manhattan and represents a woman whose height is 93 meters. She is dressed in a toga, clothes reminiscent of the principles of ancient democracy, stands, proudly straightening up, and holds in right hand a torch symbolizing Enlightenment. At the same time, her left hand presses the tablet to itself, on which with Latin letters the cherished date for the Americans was stamped: "07/14/1776" - the day the US Declaration of Independence was adopted.

One leg of a steel woman tramples on broken chains, symbolizing slavery. In the middle of the monument, there is a staircase that allows you to climb the stairs (there are 356 of them in total) to the observation deck, which was located in its crown, while half of the road can be shortened somewhat and an elevator can be reached to the top of the pedestal (these are 192 steps). The crown has 25 windows symbolizing natural resources Earth, and on top of it are decorated with seven rays, denoting the seven continents.

How the monument was created

The history of the Statue of Liberty is notable for the fact that it was created in several countries at once, money was collected for a long time, transported in parts, and some of its details even took part in exhibitions.

The concept of such a monument was developed by the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Who exactly posed for him, there are several hypotheses. According to one of them, the statue is extremely similar to the sculptor's mother, Charlotte. According to another, her face belongs to the recently widowed Isabella Boyer, whose husband was the famous Isaac Singer, the creator of a series of famous sewing machines.

Location selection

In which city the Statue of Liberty would be located, Bartholdi decided. Of all the options offered to him in the United States, he liked Bedloe Island near New York, three kilometers from Manhattan. After the installation of the statue, people quickly renamed it Liberty Island, although this name was officially fixed only in the middle of the 20th century.

Fundraising

France and the United States entered into an agreement between themselves that America would build the pedestal and pay for the installation, while the other side was responsible for the manufacture of the monument and its transportation. How expensive the project turned out to be, it became clear almost immediately - there was not enough money for it both in one and in another country.

Therefore, both here and there, events aimed at raising funds were held. The French parted with their funds much more willingly than the Americans. It was both money contributed as donations, and for participation in various entertainment evenings, lotteries. Bartoli managed to interest even the government of the Third Republic (the main argument is America as an ally against European monarchies hostile to France). Quite quickly they collected more than two million francs.

At the same time, the Americans were in no hurry to part with money - the Statue of Liberty did not particularly impress them, the fiery speeches of Bartoli, who traveled from city to city, did not give any special results and they refused to donate money, and Rockefeller said that this idea was complete nonsense.

Despite the fact that the architect Richard Morris Hunt had already designed the pedestal in 1883, due to lack of funding, work could well have stopped if the well-known publisher and journalist Joseph Pulitzer had not taken up the matter.

First, he offered to publish the names of absolutely all the people who would give money for the construction. And secondly, he made extremely harsh criticism, addressing the representatives of the middle and upper classes - his articles were so convincing that in a fairly short time they managed to collect more than one hundred thousand dollars.

In the USA, by 1885, the entire required amount was collected, and in early August, the pedestal was finally erected on the island (at the same time, cement for the construction of the foundation was brought to the USA from Germany). This work lasted about eight months - and by the end of construction it was the largest concrete foundation on the planet in those years.

Works in Paris

The French worked much faster, and by the end of 1881 the statue was almost ready - it only needed to be assembled, which was done. After Assembly main entrance in the statue was in front, emergency exit- in the heel of the left foot. From the observation deck, which was equipped in the crown, they led a ladder to the torch and planned to supply gas, but just by that time Edison had invented electricity, and it was decided to stop at this option.

By 1884, all work on the part of the French was completed. The monument was assembled, staged a grand opening attended by US Ambassador and Prime Minister Ferry, and dismantled to be transported across the ocean. Since the pedestal on the island was not ready by this time, the statue began to travel from city to city, in parts.

Travel statue on a pedestal

Before the gift from the French democrats was delivered and installed in its intended place, the Statue of Liberty managed to travel around the world. For example, her head, whose height is 5.26 m, as well as her hand with a torch, were seen by Paris, Philadelphia, Madison Square, where they visited expositions and anyone could look at them.

In total, it took 214 boxes to transport the sculpture across the ocean, and it was divided into more than three hundred parts. It took about four months to assemble the monument upon arrival at Bedloe Island. And they connected it to the pedestal with the help of two steel lintels, connected by anchor beams, which go up and connect there with the frame of the statue.

Opening

Despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty was already assembled in April 1886, due to various organizational reasons, the grand opening on the island took place in mid-autumn. A gift commemorating the centenary of the American Revolution was a decade late. Interestingly, he is quite long time not only was it a monument to freedom and democracy, but also served as a beacon, which quite successfully coped with its duties.

For those who come in search a better life Migrants Statue of Liberty was the first acquaintance with America. One of the largest sculptures in the history of mankind, greeted millions of people from all over the world who crossed the ocean in search of best opportunities. No monument in the United States is as strongly associated with America as the Statue of Liberty. Given by the people of France in 1886 as a sign of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, over time it has become an ideal of human freedom and independence, one of the most recognizable symbols of the United States.

The design of the Statue of Liberty is deeply symbolic. The female figure dressed in a mantle personifies the goddess of freedom, in her raised hand she holds a torch, in the other - a book (code of laws). The broken chains of tyranny, broken at the feet of Freedom, symbolize the end of the era of tyranny and oppression. The book in the left hand with the inscription July 4, 1776 (the day the US Declaration of Independence was adopted) reminds all those who arrived of the American ideal - "all men are created equal." The torch held high in the right hand symbolizes the illumination of the road to freedom and independence. The seven rays on the crown symbolize freedom, stretching across oceans and continents. The cap on the head is reminiscent of the headdress given to Roman slaves when they gained their freedom.

Statue of Liberty: the history of creation

The idea to present the United States with a monument in honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the state and a sign of friendship between the United States and France, sealed during the War of Independence, first arose in the summer of 1865 at a gala dinner at the house of Edouard de Laboulay near Versailles. The French writer and publicist Edouard de Laboulet, as if by the way, expressed the opinion that "if a monument is erected in the United States, it will be natural if it is built by the joint efforts of our two peoples." The young sculptor Bartholdi, who was present at the dinner, liked the idea very much.
In November 1875, the Franco-American Union was formed to raise funds. The French must finance the creation of the sculpture, and the Americans must pay all the costs of building the pedestal. The future statue was given the name "Liberty Enlightening the World".

The fundraising campaign was active in France. To this end, the famous French composer Charles Gounod wrote a song, in the spring of 1878 they held a lottery, fortunately, French law allowed this to be done for charitable purposes. By July 1882, the necessary sum of $250,000 had been raised. All the money was received through charity, the French state did not allocate a single franc from the treasury.

In America, things were much more difficult. The American Committee for the Construction of the Pedestal, formed in January 1877, faced enormous difficulties. The international financial crisis in 1873 brought with it a period of prolonged economic stagnation that lasted for the better part of a decade. The required figure of $125,000 soon doubled, but the funds were practically non-existent. The press was indifferent to the project, and there were few who wanted to finance the construction of the New York Lighthouse. By the way, the Statue of Liberty was not the only project that experienced funding problems: the construction of the Washington Monument also stalled for many years.

A new fundraising company began in 1882. The committee organized a large number of propaganda events, in which poet Emma Lazarus was invited to write poetry. Initially, she refused, citing the fact that she could not write poetry about the statue. Later, the sonnet “The New Colossus” written by the poetess raised $21,000 and won the first prize. Years later, a plaque with lines written by the poetess was installed at the main entrance to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

The owner and editor of the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer, took an active part in the fundraising campaign. Thanks to his campaign, the idea that the Statue of Liberty is a gift to all Americans, not just New Yorkers, gained general acceptance. In August 1883, all the necessary money for the construction was collected.

On August 5, 1884, during a solemn ceremony, the first stone was laid for the construction of a pedestal in the center of Fort Wood built in the early 19th century. On April 22, 1886, the pedestal was ready to receive a generous gift from the people of France. It became the largest concrete structure in the world at that time.

How was the Statue of Liberty assembled?

To create a monument, light, and at the same time durable material was required to withstand a long cruise. The material must be water-resistant and easily endure the salty, humid climate of New York Harbor. The choice of the French sculptor fell on copper.

To create a monument, Bartholdi made a sketch model about 1.25 m high. From this model he reproduced a copy of the statue 2.85 m high. Using the same method, he made another model 11 m high. Then he divided the 11 meter statue into a large number of fragments and increased by four times.

When creating the Statue, copper sheets 2.57 mm thick were used. Carpenters made wooden forms in which, with the help of a hammer, the sheets were given the desired configuration. More than 300 fragments of individual copper sheets formed the figure of the statue that we can see today. The inner frame of the Statue of Liberty was developed by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel, the author of the world-famous Eiffel Tower in Paris.

By the beginning of 1884, all parts of the Statue of Liberty were assembled together, and, like a real Colossus, it towered over the roofs of houses in Paris. Bartholdi devoted 15 years of his life to the monument, investing in it his talent as an outstanding sculptor. She became best job the author, thanks to which his name is forever inscribed in history.

Before shipment, all fragments of the statue were packed in 214 specially designed containers, weighing from several hundred kilograms to several tons each. On June 17, 1885, the ship delivered the monument to New York.

The opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Statue of Liberty took place on October 28, 1886. First, a solemn parade was held on the streets of New York, which was watched by hundreds of thousands of citizens. Only invited dignitaries took part in the opening ceremony on the island itself. US President Grover Cleveland presided over the opening.

Black Tom Peninsula Terror Attack and Statue of Liberty

On July 30, 1916, German agents organized a diversion on the Black Tom peninsula, where a large ammunition depot was located. On the night of the attack, a total of about 1 kiloton of ammunition was stored here. The power of the explosion was estimated from 5.0 to 5.5 points on the Richter scale. Its effects were felt even by the inhabitants of the neighboring state of Maryland. The fragments of the explosion flew long distances, some of them hit the Statue of Liberty, and some, flying 2 km, damaged the building of the clock tower in Journal Square and stopped the clock.

As a result of the attack, the monument, especially the hand and the torch, was damaged. From that time to the present day, the torch has been closed to the public. It is interesting to note that the Lehigh Valley Railway Company tried to recover the damage caused from the state of Germany and still achieved its goal. In 1953, Germany agreed to pay the company $50 million (equivalent to about $452 million in 2010). The final calculation was carried out in 1979.

Reconstructions of the Statue of Liberty

On December 2, 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson solemnly turned on new system lighting. The Statue of Liberty was illuminated by searchlights installed along the walls of Fort Wood. Architect Gutzon Borglum redesigned the damaged torch, replacing many of the copper fragments with textured glass.

A green coating began to cover the surface of the Statue of Liberty immediately after 1900. By 1906, the gleaming copper outer surface had completely oxidized and acquired an attractive light green patina, protecting the metal from the effects of wind and rain.

In 1882, after a thorough study of the condition of the Statue of Liberty, American and French specialists came to the conclusion that the monument needed serious restoration. The iron frame inside the monument was badly rusted, about 2% of the copper fragments needed to be replaced.

In 1984, the statue was closed for restoration. The torch, through which water penetrated inside the monument since 1916, was replaced with an exact copy of the architect Bartholdi. Whole inner frame and some fragments of the copper surface were also replaced. The pedestal and figure were illuminated by new metal halide lamps. On July 5, in the presence of Presidents Reagan and Mitterrand, the Statue of Liberty was reopened to the public.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Liberty Island and the monument were immediately closed to the public. In 2004, the pedestal was reopened to the public, the crown became available for visits in 2009.

Statue of Liberty: practical information

The monument is open to visitors every day, including weekends and holidays. Those who wish to visit the island of Liberty (the Statue of Liberty is installed on it) can purchase three ticket options to choose from:

1) Simple ticket - includes a ferry ride to Liberty Island. A simple ticket saves time: instead of waiting in a long line, it gives you first-priority boarding on the ferry. The ticket does not give the right to visit the pedestal, the museum located there, the observation deck and the crown.

2) A ticket with the right to enter the pedestal includes a trip to the island by ferry and additionally provides access to the pedestal, a visit to the museum, gives you the opportunity to see internal structure statues, climb to the observation deck of the pedestal, visit Fort Wood (the star-shaped structure on which the statue stands). This type The ticket does not include the right to access the crown of the Statue of Liberty. Tickets with the right to visit the pedestal must be ordered no later than two weeks before the scheduled visit. On very hot days, visiting the corona is prohibited.

3) A ticket with the right to visit the crown provides the opportunity to climb spiral staircase to the top of the Statue of Liberty. To climb the crown, you need to overcome 354 steps (corresponding to about 22 floors). Visitors ascend to the crown in groups of 10 led by a member of the service national parks, but no more than 3 groups per hour. The number of such tickets is limited, they must be ordered three to four months in advance or even longer (up to one year). From here opens great view panorama of New York.

Every 30-45 minutes from 9 am to 3:30 pm, a ferry leaves for Liberty Island. Best time to visit in the early morning weekdays to avoid crowds on weekends and holidays.

The waiting time in line for the ferry takes about 90 minutes. The wait is much longer during the peak travel season from June to September.

Having tickets in hand, it is advisable to arrive 30 minutes before the ferry departs, as the pre-boarding procedure delays passengers. The ferry ride takes about 20 minutes.

According to the National Park Service, only 240 people per day are allowed access to the crown, 3,000 visitors per day to the pedestal, and 12,000 visitors per day to Liberty Island. Over three million people visit the Statue of Liberty every year.

By purchasing a simple ticket, visitors can visit not only Liberty Island, but also Ellis Island - the largest immigrant reception center in the United States, which received more than 12 million immigrants from the opening of the immigration service here in 1892 until the closing in 1954. Ancestors of more than 40 percent modern population The US went through Ellis Island immigration. Therefore, for Americans, Ellis Island is much more important than the alleged landing site of Christopher Columbus in the distant 1492. former building The immigration office hosts a museum dedicated to the history of US immigration. Here exhibits, photographs, eyewitness memories are collected, there is a library and two cinema halls. The building of the Immigration Service is one of the largest historical museums USA.

In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was listed world heritage UNESCO.

Inside the pedestal are photographs, videos, stories about the construction of the Statue of Liberty, engravings, diagrams, historical details, a tablet with a poem written by Emma Lazarus "The New Colossus", an original 1886 torch. Having overcome 192 steps on the stairs, you find yourself on an observation deck overlooking the New York Harbor.

The Statue of Liberty is featured on postage stamps, paintings and books. Her image is widely used in films, television programs, music, video, computer games, commemorative coins and in theatrical productions. Hundreds of copies of the monument are installed all over the world. To this day, the image of the Statue of Liberty continues to be the most popular international symbol of America.