The Statue of Liberty was a beacon of hope and freedom to the immigrants who came to America via Ellis Island decades ago, and is now one of the most famous landmarks in the United States.
There’s an impressive history behind this giant statue, and many hidden meanings you may not have known about.
Educate yourself on the impressive history of the Statue of Liberty!
The total weight of this impressive statue is 225 tons, or 450,000 pounds.
If you were to buy a pair of shoes for Lady Liberty, they would have to be size 879.
For a period of 16 years, the Statue of Liberty functioned as a lighthouse with light that could be seen from about 24 miles away.
The Statue of Liberty stands at 305 feet and 1 inch tall, making it the tallest statue in North America.
If the winds are strong enough, the Statue can sway three inches, while her torch can sway about six inches.
The massive design of the Statue of Liberty is inspired by ancient Roman architectural designs.
Peregrine falcons have been found by National Park Service Rangers perched on the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
The full name of Lady Liberty is “Liberty Enlightening the World”.
In order to reach the crown, you have to climb 354 stairs to get to the top. Once you reach the top, there are 25 windows to look out from around the crown.
The face of the statue was modeled after the sculptor’s mother, Charlotte.
Inside the statue are 16 vertical tension bars that span about 60 feet from the top of the pedestal.
These bars are important because they “pull” the Statue to the pedestal to keep it in place. When the Statue was initially built, they had to use a giant wrench to tighten these bolts.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France in 1886, proposed by Edouard Laboulaye. It was a representation of both the union’s victory in the American Revolution and a celebration of the abolition of slavery.
Laboulaye was hoping the gift would inspire his fellow Frenchmen to fight for their own democracy against Napoleon III.
Each year since it was built, the Statue of Liberty gets hit with lightning about 600 times per year. This occurrence was first captured by a photographer in 2010.
Two people have committed suicide by jumping off the statue, while several others have survived the fall.
The light green color of the statue is due to the natural weathering of the copper.
When it was built in 1886, it was the tallest structure in New York City at 22 stories tall.
The original torch of the statue was replaced in 1984 with a new copper torch that was covered in 24-carat gold leaf.
The broken shackles at the feet of the statue represent freedom from tyranny and oppression.
