Statue of Liberty Museum Facts for Kids

The Statue of Liberty Museum

The Statue of Liberty Museum is a special place on Liberty Island in New York City. It opened on May 16, 2019. This museum teaches visitors all about the famous Statue of Liberty. You can learn how it was made, what it means, and its long history. The Statue of Liberty, also called Liberty Enlightening the World, was a gift from the people of France to the United States in 1886. A talented artist named Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi created this huge statue.

What You Can See at the Museum
- Exploring the Statue's History
- Amazing Photos and Designs
How the Museum Was Funded
Building the New Museum
Gallery
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What You Can See at the Museum

The original torch carried by Liberty from 1886 to 1984

The museum has many interesting things to see. One of the most exciting items is the original torch. This torch was held by the Statue of Liberty from 1886 until 1984.

Exploring the Statue's History

The museum shows how the statue was built. It also tells its story through the years. There is a special theater where you can watch a video. This video gives you a bird's-eye view of the statue.

Amazing Photos and Designs

You will find over 500 photos and drawings in the exhibits. These come from more than 100 different places. For example, there are rare old photos from the Musée Bartholdi in Colmar, France. These pictures show how the statue was put together. You can also see early drawings for the statue's base from the Library of Congress. A company called ESI Design, led by Edwin Schlossberg, created these exhibits.

How the Museum Was Funded

The Statue of Liberty Museum was built with money from private donations. Many people and companies helped. These included Diane von Fürstenberg, Michael Bloomberg, and Jeff Bezos. Other supporters were Coca-Cola and NBCUniversal. The families of Laurence Tisch and Preston Robert Tisch also contributed. Mellody Hobson and George Lucas were big donors too. Diane von Fürstenberg led the effort to raise money. By October 6, 2016, over $40 million had been raised for the project.

Building the New Museum

Construction for the new museum began in early October 2016. The project cost about $70 million. The museum is very large, covering about 2,415 square meters (26,000 square feet). This means it can welcome all visitors to Liberty Island each day. The old museum could only hold about 20% of daily visitors. The design firm FXCollaborative created the museum's look. They made sure it fit well with the parkland around it. When the museum opened, some parts of the island became off-limits for tour guides.