lady liberty

Statue of Liberty Closing for Renovation

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Wednesday that the Statue of Liberty will close for a yearlong renovation project beginning on October 29, one day after the monument’s 125th anniversary. With a price tag of over $27 million, the renovation effort aims to make the inside of the statue safer and more accessible for the public. Workers will install code-compliant stairways, replace elevators, upgrade restrooms, and update electrical, mechanical, and fire-suppression systems. While the façade will be unobstructed and Liberty Island will remain open to the public during the construction, visitors will be unable to enter the statue’s crown, pedestal, or museum. This temporary closure comes just two years after the government reopened the crown’s observation deck, which had been shuttered since 9/11. The base of the statue reopened in 2004 after a costly security upgrade.

Now that the Statue of Liberty is closing for a year, our tired and poor huddled masses and wretched refuse will have to go straight to New Jersey.

Statue of Liberty to Close For a Year in $27 Million Renovation [NYP]

Statue of Liberty Closing for Renovation