10 Fun Facts about the Statue of Liberty

Each of the 7 spikes on the crown of the Statue of Liberty represent the 7 oceans and the 7 continents of the world. This is said to represent the universal concept of liberty, so, it's not only about fashion. You can even visit the crown and take in the stunning vista. But in order to do that you need to climb 162 stairs as there’s no elevator service to the crown. The climb is strenuous but well worth it. The scenery from the top is simply breathtaking.

Due to its extreme popularity, there are a limited number of crown tickets per day, so book your visit well in advance.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States. Her head spent some time in Paris at the 1878 World's Fair before it was shipped overseas to celebrate the centenary of the American revolution.

While this magnificent statue found her new home in New York, her “little sisters” remained in Paris. There’s 1 greeting you at the Musée d’Orsay. Another one stands proudly in Luxembourg Gardens and the 3rd on the small island in the Seine, Île aux Cygnes. The 4th “sister” dominates the courtyard of the Musée des Arts et Métiers. Near Pont de l’Alma bridge, there’s a replica of the gold flame that tops the Statue of Liberty.

If you were thinking she has no use and she's just a beautiful face and a big hunk of metal, think again. She actually served as a lighthouse, guiding ships and sailors home after a long trip on the ocean.

The Statue of Liberty became operational as a lighthouse on November 22, 1886, and 16 years later it was discontinued as an aid to navigation. The light ever had only 1 head keeper, Albert E. Littlefield, who lived on the island with his family.

In 1932, it was discovered that the head had been installed 2 ft (61 cm) off center. Also, the upheld arm was 18 inches (46 cm) away from where it was designed to be. During the conservation and restoration works in the mid-1980’s, computer aided design drawings revealed that the misalignment had caused the spikes of the crown to damage a section of the torch-bearing arm.

Luckily, the engineers were able to add new bracing and steel plates and install additional supports inside the head to improve its stability. The positions of the arm and the head remained as they had been since they were reassembled on Bedloe's Island in 1886.

In 1916, the statue suffered minor damages from the “Black Tom” explosion, detonated by German agents, and nobody has been allowed to go into the torch since. Only the National Park Service staff members, the “Keepers of the Flame,” can go up to maintain the floodlights in the balcony.

Before the tragic closure of the torch, people were allowed all the way up. There was a narrow door underneath the flame, where 12 visitors at a time could exit to the balcony. Luckily, today you can admire the view from the torch live every day with a web cam.

The Statue of Liberty has to withstand about 600 lighting bolts every year. That’s a lot even for a huge monument made of metal and exposed to the elements. In high winds, the torch can sway about 5 inches (13 cm) side-to-side. Photographers have managed to capture lightning bolts striking the Statue, even the torch.

The Statue’s height and conductive copper make it a structure prone to lightning strikes. Luckily, a complex lightning protection system is in place. The bolts of lightning might "kiss" the copper “skin” of the Statue and leave scorch marks, but they can’t damage it severely. The Statue is safely grounded through the massive concrete and granite base she stands on.