Statue of Liberty
Ah! The Statue of Liberty! A symbol of hope and freedom and the location star of many a Hollywood movie. But beyond a big, tall statue of a lady, how much do you know about her? Here are 10 fun facts to wow your friends, family and teachers.
A little mini Franc!
Positioned atop Liberty Island in New York Harbour, The Statue of Liberty stands at 93m tall and is covered in copper which gives her her distinct green colour.
The statue’s design represents a Roman goddess and was designed and built by the French as a gift to the people of America to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence.
Construction began on her in 1875 and was opened to the public in 1886.
The Americans were responsible for building the pedestal of the Statue, while the French were responsible for the assembly of the Statue in the U.S. Both nations raised funds for the construction works by conducting exhibitions, theatrical events, auctions and even lotteries.
She has come to represent freedom and opportunity for migrants arriving by sea and is a triumphant symbol of what it means to be American.
The statue’s full name in English is ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ in French it is ‘La Liberté Éclairant le Monde’.
Lady Liberty is struck by lightening approximately 600 times per year.
There are 7 spikes on the crown of the Statue of Liberty. It is said that these spikes represent the seven continents and seven oceans of the world.
There are 354 steps inside the Statue of Liberty to reach the crown on its head.
Visiting the Statue is free! However you have to pay to catch the dedicated ferry to actually get to the island 😊
BONUS FACT: The integral metal framework needed to build the statue was created by Gustave Eiffel. Surname sound familiar? Yep it was the same guy who constructed the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
BONUS BONUS FACT: Due to the above, there is a little mini Statue of Liberty situated nearby the Eiffel Tower.