Lady Liberty is finally free again.
Well, at least she will be on July 4 – the date that the Statue of Liberty will officially reopen its crown to visitors after being closed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made the announcement on NBC’s “Today Show” on Friday morning, May 8, saying that Independence Day is the perfect date to reopen the historic landmark.
“There is nothing that symbolizes what America is – and the hope and optimism – than this Statue of Liberty,” Salazar said on NBC.
When the crown is reopened, approximately 30 people per hour will get to walk up to the top during the next two years, according to Department of the Interior officials, for a total of 50,000 visitors per year. Then, it will shut down for major repairs that will allow the monument to host 200,000 people per year.
After the terror attacks on New York City in 2001, federal Parks officials decided to keep the crown of the statue shuttered to visitors as a safety precaution.
During the past four years, Queens and Brooklyn Congressmember Anthony Weiner has led the fight to reopen the crowd, but former President George W. Bush’s Administration rebuked his efforts. Weiner praised President Barack Obama’s efforts to quickly reopen the crown, and he invited the President to come to New York and tour the crown with him.
“There is no greater birthday present for America than to reopen Lady Liberty from her toes to her crown,” Weiner said. “Climbing up to the crown will not be for everyone, but those that make the trip up to the cramped hot space will be walking through history.”
