The Statue of Liberty is quintessential to what New York, as well as what the greater United States, represents: freedom. Though one of the most popular tourist attractions ever, it’s definitely a must-see (at least once in your life), whether you’re from the Big Apple or not. I loved the experience of visiting The Lady of Liberty, from start to finish. The ferry ride over to the island is refreshing and scenic in and of itself. When you arrive at Liberty Island, the views are pretty fantastic. You can see all of the Manhattan skyline, Jersey, as well as other surrounding areas. Plus there are tons of awesome, picture perfect photo opportunities throughout the island.
Finally visiting the robbed female who represents the Roman goddess, Libertas, gave me a great refresher on American history and taught me so many interesting things about the iconic New York monument. Basic info I had no clue of were facts like she weights 450,000 pounds and stands 151 feet tall; the statue was a gift from France in honor of the Centennial of American Independence; and you can actually climb all the way to the top of her crown (as long as you’re in shape, seriously).
Walking up an infinite amount of steps on a dangerously steep and spiraling staircase is awful. That said, the experience of actually being in the crown of the Statue of Liberty is beyond cool. Also, quite hot and claustrophobic. Anyways, it’s worth it. You’re allowed to look straight out through each of the 24 windows (of her crown) to views of the New York Harbor and from there on out you can say you’ve been to the very top of this iconic statue.
Within the museum, there are tons of interesting artifacts, lots of detailed history about the monument, a timeline of how the statue came about, a variety of replicas of the statue (including a life-sized face), and more Americana. In fact, one of the first things you see as you walk into the museum is the statue’s original torch, which was replaced in 1984 by a new copper torch covered in 24k gold leaf.
If you have a chance to take a tour of Liberty Island, don’t overlook it! Plus while you’re there, you can check out the also historically significant Ellis Island and its National Immigration Museum.
Chelsea is a bicoastal freelance journalist whose passion revolves around exploring the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious.
Her work can be found in TravelPulse, Forbes, This Is Insider, Fox Lifestyle and more. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine.
