The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States in recognition
of the friendship established during the
American Revolution.
The Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well
as this international friendship.
The Statue of Liberty was completed in France in July, 1884 by
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
The Statue arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French ship " Isere"
which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States.
Durin the crossing, the statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates, it was
reassembled in four months time. The total weight of the Statue of Liberty
is 225 tons and rises 305 feet.
There are 354 steps inside the statue from the pedestal to the crown, which was open to visitors
prior to September 11, 2001. The crown, with its 25 window view of New York Harbor, was open
again to the public on July, 4, 2009.
