Statue of Liberty National Monument

What happens when you try to apply modern fire and safety codes to a historic structure that was built long before such requirements were considered? When that structure is an international icon like the Statue of Liberty, the challenges are big ones indeed. Those needs are perhaps even more apparent in the post-9-1-1 era, and plans for the work are well underway. If you have any comments, the NPS would be glad to have them.

Music has been called a universal language, and now a unique musical instrument has been created to commemorate not only two important historic sites, but also some ideals that are central to the story of our nation. The Spirit of America Gibson Les Paul Guitar has just gone on display at Ellis Island in New York, and you can see it there until next August.

One of the most famous urban scenes in the world is view of the New York City skyline from Liberty Island, but the island, home of the Statue of Liberty, is normally closed to the public during the evening. Special tours will offer a chance to visit the island—and enjoy the view—on eight Thursday nights this summer. Space is limited and advance tickets are required.

A climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty is a memorable experience, but the steep, double-helix steps that wind around inside the statue have long been a point of concern if a medical emergency should occur. A new device developed by cadets at West Point will make future rescues from the crown both safer and speedier.

Once used to shuttle recently-admitted immigrants from Ellis Island to Manhattan, the ferryboat “Ellis Island” was retired in 1954 and sank at its berth in 1968. Now a difficult salvage operation has retrieved the historic ship‘s rusted remains.

As part of the celebration surrounding National Public Lands Day and the official roll-out of Ken Burns' documentary on national parks, the Statute of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island will be open for evening tours on September 24 and 25th.

The Statue of Liberty’s crown reopens to the public on July 4. Soon somebody schlepping up those 354 steps will have the dubious distinction of being the first visitor to make a personal acquaintance with Lady Liberty’s RAT.

On July 4th, the Statue of Liberty’s crown will be reopened to the public for the first time since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The NPS will start taking reservations this Saturday.

Continuing on his whirlwind work schedule, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has cut through all the security red tape of the Bush administration and announced that the public once again will be able to climb all the way to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.

Is it time to reopen Miss Liberty's crown to the general public? Interior Secretary Ken Salazar thinks so.

When Ellis Island became part of Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965, its buildings were in terrible condition. By 1990, only the Main Building and some other north side buildings had been restored. In 2000, Save Ellis Island, Inc. and its partners began the expensive task of stabilizing and restoring the south side buildings.

Public access to the observation deck in the Statue of Liberty’s crown has been banned since September 11, 2001, for safety and security reasons. In response to loud protests, Congress has ordered a study to determine if crown access can be made safe.