STATUE OF LIBERTY FACTS
Here are some Statue of Liberty facts you may not know:
The Statue of Liberty is a large, copper plated statue of a woman holding a lit torch. It was a gift from France to the United States in 1886, as a gesture of friendship. The statue stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, serving as a sign of welcome to visitors, immigrants, and returning travelers. The statue is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel (originally puddled iron).
The tablet she holds in her left hand says, in Roman numerals, "July 4, 1776" the day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
The flame of the torch is coated in gold leaf (originally made of stained glass and lit from the inside.) The old torch is currently on display in the monument's lobby museum.
The Statue of Liberty herself is 151 feet tall, but the foundation on which she stands brings the total height of the monument to more than 305 feet. There are 354 steps inside the statue and its pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown. Back in the day, visitors could climb all the way up to the crown and look out over the vast American landscape, but the inside of the statue is now closed to visitors indefinitely, due to modern day safety regulations. Inside the pedestal is a bronze plaque inscribed with the following poem by Emma Lazarus.
THE NEW COLOSSUS
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
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