Statue of Liberty Tickets July 4 2013: Reopening Schedule, Prices, Monument Access, Returns for First Time Since Hurricane Sandy Hit New York City
The Statue of Liberty will re-open on July 4 after months of repairs and renovations following the damages caused by hurricane Sandy late last year, according to the Statue of Liberty's website .
Although the statue was sparred of harm, the surrounding area on the grounds took a beating. Railings broke, docks and paving stones were torn up and buildings were flooded. The storm destroyed boilers, sewage pumps and electrical systems.
The damage to Liberty Island and neighboring Ellis Island cost an estimated $59 million, according to figures obtained by the New York Post.
A gift from France, the statue was conceived to symbolize the friendship between the two countries and their shared love of liberty. It was dedicated in 1886 and welcomes about 3.5 million visitors every year.
People who purchased tickets in advance can also look out over New York Harbor from the statue's crown, which reopened after a long hiatus one day before Sandy hit and was forced to close again due to the storm. The crown had been off-limits for a year during a $30 million upgrade to fire alarms, sprinkler systems and exit routes.
Security screening for visitors will be held in lower Manhattan after city officials criticized an earlier plan to screen them at neighboring Ellis Island, which endured far worse damage to its infrastructure and won't be open to the public anytime soon.
Some repairs to brick walkways and docks are still underway, but on July 4th visitors will arrive via ferry boats once again to tour the national landmark.
"People will have, more or less, the same access to Liberty Island that they had before," said John Warren, a spokesman for the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
The Statue of Liberty website is offering tickets again for $27 for adults which includes access to the Crown of the statue and priority entry into the Boarding Queue.
Home to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, the island still doesn't have working electricity, sewage systems or telephone lines, Warren said.
Park officials would not provide a projected reopening date for Ellis Island.
