The Statue of Liberty’s “little sister” arrived in New York City, just in time for the July Fourth festivities.
The replica statue from France weighs 1,000 pounds and stands about nine feet tall. It’s made from the same plaster mold as the 1878 original.
It took a little over a week for the statue to arrive in New York after spending the past decade in Paris where it welcomed visitors at the entrance of the Musée des Arts et Métiers, the National Museum of Arts and Crafts.
The journey was meant to replicate the original statue’s trip to the U.S. and represents the camaraderie between the two countries.
“It is a symbol of the friendship between the French and the American people, but it is also a reminder of the importance of the message of liberty and enlightening the world, which is the name of the statue,” said Philippe Étienne, French ambassador to the United States, at an inauguration ceremony. “It is the essential importance of freedom in our democracies, inside our societies, and also in the world.”
It’ll be on display at Ellis Island over the Independence Day weekend before heading to Washington D.C. for France’s Bastille Day on July 14.
“We found it so important to have this meeting between the little and the big sisters,” Étienne added.
The Statue of Liberty’s pedestal observation deck reopened Thursday after being closed since March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors must make reservations to tour the observation deck as well as the interior and exterior of Fort Wood. The statue’s crown will remain closed until further notice.
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