How Tall Is the Statue of Liberty?

The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, New York City.
The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, New York City.

The Statue of Liberty is a gigantic neoclassical sculpture located on Liberty Island in New York City's New York Harbor. The statue, which is made of copper, was designed by a French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi and given as a gift from France to the people of the United States. The Statue of Liberty was constructed by French architect and civil engineer Gustave Eiffel and was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The Statue’s Height

The height of the Statue of Liberty depends on how it is measured. The statue itself is 151 feet tall, measured from the base of the statue to the torch. However, if the foundation and pedestal are included, then the statue has a height of 305 feet. The main feature of the statue, also known as Lady Liberty, stands on a 65 foot tall foundation, which is designed in the shape of an eleven-point star, as wells as a stone pedestal measuring 89 feet.

Overview

Inside the statue there are 354 steps from the pedestal up to the crown, which offers a small observation deck. The crown of Lady Liberty features 25 windows overlooking New York Harbor. The area was open to visitors up until the September 11, 2001 terror attack. The island was completely closed to the public following the attack, but partially re-opened in 2004. Visitors were granted access to the gallery and pedestal, while the other interior parts remained closed. The crown was later reopened on July 4, 2009, but only a limited amount of people are allowed go up to the crown at a time.

Additional Dimensions of the Statue Liberty

Lady Liberty measures 111 feet and 1 inch from the heel to the top of the head. The length of her hand measures about 16 feet and 5 inches, while her index finger measures about eight feet. Lady Liberty also has large feet, and the length of her sandal measuring 25 feet long, which makes her a size 879 in terms of US women's shoes sizes. Lady Liberty’s head to her chin measures 17 feet and 3 inches, while the width of her head measures 10 feet. The distance between the statue’s eyes is 2 feet and 6 inches. Miss Liberty also has a 35 feet waist, and her face is over 8 feet tall. The statue’s nose measures about 4 feet and 6 inches in length, while the width of the mouth is 3 feet. The right arm of Lady Liberty, which holds a torch that is always lit, measures a length of 42 feet and a width of 12 feet. The left hand holds a tablet measuring 23 feet and 7 inches in height and 13 feet and 7 inches in width, and is a thickness of 2 feet. The tablet has the words JULY IV MDCCLXXVI inscribed on it, which translates to July 4, 1776, and it is the date when the United States declared its independence.

Other Features

The crown includes seven points that represent the seven continents and seven seas. Each ray of the crown weighs about 150 pounds and measures up to 9 feet. The Statue of Liberty weights a total of 450,000 pounds, and the copper that is found in the interior of the statue’s frame weighs about 200,000 pounds alone.

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