Heading To New York City? The Statue Of Liberty’s Crown Has Reopened
One of the most amazing views of New York City can be enjoyed from the crown of the Statue of Liberty. However, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the crown of the statue has been closed to the public for two and a half years. That is until yesterday, October 11, 2022, when it was reopened to the public.
About The Statue of Liberty
Good news out of New York City, as the crown on the Statue of Liberty has finally reopened to the public. Visitors can once again head across New York Harbor to pay a visit and enjoy spectacular views over the city.
The Statue of Liberty is a neoclassical sculpture, standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Crafted from copper, the colossal statue was a gift from the people of France to the people of the USA.
Meanwhile, the statue represents Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess, who holds a torch above her head with her right hand. In her left hand, Libertas holds a tabula ansata, inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776) represented in Roman numerals, the date of the US Declaration of Independence.
At her feet, a broken shackle and chain lie to commemorate the national abolition of slavery. Meanwhile, the Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. Moreover, the statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.
The Statue of Liberty’s Crown reopens
For the first time in two and a half years, the Crown of the Statue of Liberty has reopened to visitors. This is the first time since the doors were closed in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesperson told CNN that while portions of the Statue of Liberty gradually reopened during the pandemic, the crown was kept off-limits until Tuesday this week.
Reportedly, the National Park Service, which manages the monument, was planning a soft reopening, with little advertisement, in late October. It was planned to celebrate the 136th anniversary of the statue’s dedication in 1886.
Jerry Willis, a spokesperson for the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island explained the plan. Reportedly, this was planned to acclimate newly hired staff to the crown-specific safety and security protocols, while being trained by veteran tour guides.
However, that didn’t happen. Willis said people were really excited about the news, as public access to the crown was always available prior to the pandemic. Meanwhile, a number of problems stood in the way of reopening the crown. These included getting city, state and federal pandemic restrictions lifted, as well as sorting out a record-low hiring pool. Willis explained:
We had to hire people and get them up to speed to effectively run crown operations.
Visiting Liberty Island & Ellis Island from New York City
Besides the iconic Statue of Liberty and its iconic views of New York City, Liberty Island has other attractions. The island also hosts a brand new, state-of-the-art museum that showcases the entire history and significance of the statue.
It should also be borne in mind that a tour can take you further than the Statue of Liberty. Your can also visit Ellis Island where people can explore the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Meanwhile, this museum has three floors of interactive exhibits, and restored rooms showing where immigrants were housed and processed. Moreover, the museum has passenger records that let people trace their ancestors.
Bear in mind that Statue City Cruises is the only NPS-authorized ferry service, which visitors must reserve in advance, either online or by phone.