For over a century, the Statue of Liberty has stood as one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, welcoming millions with her torch held high. Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, she has become much more than just a statue—she is a lasting symbol of freedom, opportunity, and new beginnings.

The idea for the monument originated in France in the 1860s. French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed Lady Liberty, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the very same engineer behind the Eiffel Tower, created the metal framework that supports her. A gift from France to the United States, the statue was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886, symbolizing the friendship between the two nations and celebrating America's commitment to liberty.

Construction of the statue began in France in the early 1870s. By 1884, it was completed and disassembled into 350 individual pieces for shipment to the United States. The pieces were packed into crates and transported by the French Navy ship Isère, arriving in New York in June 1885.

Before the statue took up residence on Liberty Island —once known as Bedloe's Island—served a variety of purposes, including military defense. But everything changed when Lady Liberty arrived. She quickly became an icon for generations of immigrants arriving in the U.S., offering hope and the promise of a better life as they sailed past her on their way to Ellis Island.

The statue itself rises to an impressive height of 305 feet from the ground to the tip of her torch. She wears a crown with seven points, each representing the continents and seas, while broken chains at her feet symbolize freedom from oppression. Her official name, “Liberty Enlightening the World,” reflects the universal ideals she represents. Emma Lazarus’s famous poem, The New Colossus” inscribed on a plaque in the pedestal’s museum, captures this sentiment with the lines: