The Statue of Liberty has for a century been a monument to the American Dream, a potent reminder that the USA is a land of immigrants. It was New York Harbor where the first big waves of European immigrants arrived, their ships entering through the Verrazano Narrows to round the bend of the bay and catch a first glimpse of "Liberty Enlightening the World."
Leave as early as possible to avoid the lines, which can be long in the summer months (especially on weekends), and allow a couple of hours for the islands .
The statue, which depicts Liberty throwing off her shackles and holding a beacon to light the world, was built by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi in Paris between 1874 and 1884. Bartholdi started with a terra-cotta model and enlarged it through four successive versions to its present size, a construction of thin copper sheets bolted together and supported by an iron framework designed by Gustave Eiffel. The arm carrying the torch was exhibited in Madison Square Park for seven years, but the whole statue wasn't officially accepted on behalf of the American people until 1884, after which it was taken apart, crated up and shipped to New York. The statue was unveiled by President Grover Cleveland in 1886 in a flag-waving shindig that has never really stopped. Today you can climb 192 steps to the top of the pedestal or the entire 354 steps up to the crown (unfortunately, the cramped stairway up through the torch is closed to the public). Don't be surprised if there's an hour-long wait to get up
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