Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty Pixabay Public Domain
No visit to New York City would be complete without a trip to our nation's most famous National Monument and World Heritage Site, the Statue of Liberty. Located on Liberty Island, this colossal neoclassical sculpture was brought to America in 1886 as a symbol of friendship between France and the United States following the American Revolution. Designer Bartholdi created this 225-ton structure, with the help of the designer of the Eiffel Tower, as a physical representation of freedom and democracy in America.
Your group can board a ferry in Battery Park in New York City or Liberty State Park, New Jersey, to get to Liberty Island. A security screening is required, as are tickets in advance to see the crown, pedestal, or indoor museum. The grounds tour is the most widely available tour, allowing your group to see Lady Liberty up-close as they tour the island as well as the nearby Ellis Island.
Visiting the Statue of Liberty will give you patriotic chills as you glimpse back to America’s roots and feel the history of the nation forming around you. Learn about the start of the Land of the Free, as well as the history of the immigrants that used these islands as a gateway to freedom. Be sure to check out the Wall of Honor to see if you can find your own ancestors while you’re there!
The Statue of Liberty sees thousands of guests daily, about half of which travel up the 305-foot structure to get a bird's eye view of the city that made it all happen, and the nation that it supports.
