Statue of Liberty site features

The monument rises 92.99 metres from the ground to the torch tip. The copper figure accounts for 46.05 metres of that height; the granite-faced pedestal below is 46.93 metres. From the ferry, the two parts initially merge into one narrow silhouette above the low, star-shaped outline of Fort Wood.

At island level, the fort forms a broad eleven-point base around the square pedestal. The pedestal walls taper slightly as they rise, with observation levels and openings interrupting otherwise heavy granite surfaces. Above them, the green figure steps forward with most of her weight carried through one leg and the other foot raised.

The right arm extends almost vertically, holding a torch whose flame is covered in gold leaf. Seven crown rays spread around the head. The left arm draws a large tablet against the body; its Roman numerals give the date 4 July 1776. Drapery falls in deep, angular folds from shoulder to feet.

Chains and a broken shackle lie near the feet, difficult to see from the ground but central to the design. The exterior copper is only about 2.4 millimetres thick. Inside, the surface reads as a patchwork of plates and connections around a tall metal frame rather than as the back of a solid sculpture.

The statue faces southeast across the harbor entrance. Circling the island changes the background from open water to Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan and New Jersey, making orientation and setting as important to the visual experience as any single frontal view.

The copper figure

1875–1884. Hammered copper plates form a 46.05-metre hollow figure. Natural oxidation produced the green patina, while an internal support system carries the thin skin without requiring it to behave as a solid shell.

Eiffel’s internal framework

1879–1884. A central iron pylon and branching secondary members support the copper envelope. Visitors climbing inside can see how the structural system is kept distinct from Bartholdi’s sculpted surface.

The torch

1986. The current torch reproduces Bartholdi’s intended form in copper with a 24-karat gold-leaf flame. It replaced a water-damaged earlier torch, now displayed at close range in the island museum.

The crown

1886. Seven rays surround twenty-five small windows. The confined platform is reached by 162 narrow steps above the pedestal; the harbor appears through the windows as a sequence of tightly framed views.

The tablet and broken shackle

1886. The tablet reads “July IV MDCCLXXVI,” the date of American independence. At the feet, a broken shackle and chains make emancipation part of the original sculpture rather than a later interpretation.

Hunt’s pedestal and Fort Wood

1883–1886. A massive concrete pedestal faced with granite raises the figure above the harbor. It stands within the older star fort, whose angular walls remain visible from the island paths and ferry.

The New Colossus plaque

1903. The bronze plaque inside the pedestal carries Emma Lazarus’s sonnet, written in 1883 for a fundraiser. A replica in the museum makes the text available beyond the restricted monument interior.

Statue of Liberty Museum

2019. The separate museum presents the monument’s design, construction and changing meanings. Its original-torch gallery and accessible roof connect close material evidence with open views of the statue and harbor.