Statue of Liberty Open Eight Months After Hurricane Sandy Struck NYC
The Statue of Liberty will be open to the public starting the Fourth of July, eight months after damage from Super storm Sandy forced the national attraction to close.
While the statue suffered minor damage Liberty Island was badly damaged with railings washing away electrical systems broken and walkways eroding.
Around 3.7 million people visited the statue in 2011, that last year it was open to the public, which making it the 19th most visited national park. The statue had undergone a $30 million restoration just before the storm hit.
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"Being open for the summer tourism season isn't just important symbolically, it's a boon to the city's economy and businesses, as the statue attracts millions of tourists from all over the world to our shores," New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who stressed the importance the statue has on New York's booming tourism economy, said during a re-opening ceremony.
Sandy also inflicted major damage on nearby Ellis Island, though officials weren't clear on when the historic island would re-open.
The statue had been closed to the public since for repairs. The renovation included replacing the stairs to the crown, as well as creating wheelchair access to one of the observation decks at the top of the pedestal.
This year marked the 126th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty's dedication and the renovation that improved fire alarms, sprinkler systems and exit routes that brought it in line with city safety codes. Workers also added more stairs leading to the statues crown.
There are 393 steps to the crown, where there were previously 354 slightly steeper steps and the iconic statue is 151ft from base to torch. It stands on a top of a 89 foot tall stone pedestal, which sits on a 65 foot tall foundation in the shape of a star.
