6. The Statue of Liberty

Since 1886, the Statue of Liberty has been standing sentry in New York Harbor, welcoming immigrants and tourists alike to America’s shores. The Statue of Liberty was designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, with assistance from Gustav Eiffel, who provided the engineering. Even before its dedication, New Yorkers have been taking advantage of the opportunity to climb this modern day Colossus of Rhodes.

In 1876, at the Centennial Expo, in Philadelphia, visitors were first able to purchase tickets to climb a ladder up Lady Liberty’s arm to her torch. After departing the fair, between 1876 and 1882, the arm and torch were located in Madison Square Park, where visitors paid 50 cents to climb up to the torch. This was utilized as an advertising ploy by Bartholdi to help acquire funds for the statue’s base.

Until 1916, visitors to Bedloe’s (now Liberty) Island were able to climb up to the statue’s torch and crown. This changed on July 30, 1916 when Germany spies set off an explosion causing at a munitions facility that was so powerful its shock waves damaged the statue and made the torch unstable. After the explosion, the torch was closed off to visitors. Today, visitors can still enjoy views of the harbor by climbing up the spiral staircase, marveling at Eiffel’s structural work, up to the Statue of Liberty’s crown.

Discover 10 fun facts about the Statue of Liberty’s Torch and the Top 10 Secrets of the Statue of Liberty.