Experience our iconic symbol of freedom in all her glory at the new 26,000-square-foot Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. A multimedia exhibit chronicles French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi’s creative process, featuring items ranging from a small plaster model to the copper sheets pounded onto massive molds to create Lady Liberty’s final form. A movie narrated by journalist Diane Sawyer includes the story of the statue’s origins, a virtual “fly through” of its interior and a reflection on what liberty means today. In the Inspiration Gallery you can see Liberty’s original torch, which she held high for 100 years until it was replaced in 1986, as well as a full-scale copper model of the statue’s face. The museum’s grassy rooftop offers Instagram-worthy views of the Lady herself. Museum access (with audio tour) is free with a ferry ticket to Liberty and Ellis islands: $18.50; $14 for ages 62+; $9 for ages 4-12; free for children under 4. Purchase ferry tickets at statuecruises.com. Ferries depart from Lower Manhattan’s Battery Park and Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
1 Liberty Island, Ellis Island, New York; 212-363-3180; statueoflibertymuseum.org