The Statue of Liberty is one of the most well known symbols of the United States. Located in New York Harbor, on Liberty Island, she has stood as the symbol for freedom for more than one hundred years. It represents the goddess of liberty, Libertas, who was worshiped by the Romans. Its purpose was to commemorate the Declaration of Independence of America.
Despite being visited by countless tourists each year, many of them might not know some hidden aspects about the statue. Here are some Statue of Liberty facts that you might have not heard of until now.
1. How Tall is the Statue of Liberty?
As all of you know, the statue is placed on a pedestal and holds a torch in its right hand. Thus, its height from the base of the pedestal to the flames of the torch measures 305 feet and 6 inches. However, if we were to measure it from its feet to its head, it only reaches 111 feet and 6 inches. You might also be curious about its weight: 225 tons (450,000 pounds). Furthermore, the Statue of Liberty is no supermodel, as its waistline measures 35 feet.
2. The Torch
After the completion of the statue’s restoration in 1986, a new torch covered with 24k gold sheets was placed in its right hand. Even though the interior receives many tourists, visitors are not allowed inside the Statue of Liberty torch since 1916 when it was damaged by the Germans.
3. The Crown
The face of the statue is quite large as well, reaching almost 8 feet tall. It also features a crown with seven rays, each being a symbol for the seven oceans and the seven continents. Each ray has 150 pounds and is 9 feet long, and together they stand for the concept of liberty. Another interesting fact is that her head has not been placed on its body properly. Apparently it was discovered in 1982 that it is located 2 feet off the center.
4. The Tablet
The Statue of Liberty tablet is placed in its left hand. It was not left blank, as you can clearly see a date inscribed on it: JULY IV MDCCLXXVI which stands for July 4, 1776, the date of the Declaration of Independence.
5. The History
You might have wondered who gave America the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty history may surprise many of you. Well, Edouard Pene de Laboulaye, a French author, was the one who came up with the idea. Parts of the statue were built in France by Bartholdi and designed by Gustave Eiffel, who later on also worked on the famous Eiffel Tower. Her head was shown at the World Fair in Paris. It was completed in 1885 and shipped straight to the U.S. The gift from France was finally placed on the pedestal in 1886, in order to celebrate the friendship between the two countries, as well as the centenary of the revolution that took place in America.
6. The Purpose
Among the Statue of Liberty facts that might surprise you is that it was used as a lighthouse. Sailors and ships were guided by her as they returned home after the longs trips on the ocean.
7. The color
The statue was not always green as we know it today. The Statue of Liberty original color was reddish-brown, since it was covered in copper. However, it looks green due to the weathering of the material. But when did the Statue of Liberty turn green? It seems the process took almost 25 years. When the color started to change in 1906, politicians were very concerned and even allocated $62,000 to repaint her. The plan was deemed outrageous and therefore was abandoned.
Other Interesting Statue of Liberty Facts
All the facts about the Statue of Liberty cannot be compiled in just one article, but we wanted to add a couple more bonus aspects. For instance, if you wish to climb the statue, you should keep in mind that there are 154 steps from the base to its top. The Statue of Liberty has been struck more than 600 times by lightning, but you are safe and sound inside it. You also mustn’t forget to take a look at the base of the statue, as the shackles of tyranny and oppression lie at its feet, broken before the power of liberty. Her feet are also supposed to be moving towards the new free world. Last but not least, you can also spot the Statue of Liberty on the big screen. It has been featured in many motion pictures, most notably in post-apocalyptic movies. She has even been destroyed in The Independence Day film, but hopefully we won’t live to see anything like that.
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