Building the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal copper sculpture in New York Harbor. France gave this neoclassical figure to the United States.

Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the robed woman holding a torch. The statue was dedicated in 1886.

The Statue of Liberty shows a woman wearing ancient-style clothing.

Her left hand carries a tablet inscribed July 4, 1776. That is the date of the Declaration of Independence.

Before completion, the torch arm toured for publicity.

President Grover Cleveland presided over the dedication ceremony on October 28, 1886. New York celebrated with its first ticker-tape parade.

The National Park Service has maintained the monument since 1933. Public access to the torch ended in 1916.