Tthe Statue of Liberty is closing for renovation following its 125th anniversary this fall.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar announced yesterday that the Statue of Liberty will close this October as it undergoes a $27.25 million renovation that will make the interior safer.
This won’t be the first time the famous statue was closed, following the September 11 terror attacks it was closed for security reasons but was reopened in 2004 and its observation deck in 2009 with safety upgrades.
“Two years ago, when we reopened Lady Liberty’s crown to visitors for the first time since the September 11 attacks, I promised that we would continue to upgrade the interior to make it safer and more accessible for all,” Salazar said in a statement. “With today’s announcement, we are taking a major step in bringing a 19th Century icon into the 21st Century.”
The National Park Service says Liberty Island will remain open during construction.
Salazar says an average of 240 visitors climb to the crown each day and the statue has approximately 3.5 million visitors each year.
The statue that was built in the 1880s as a gift from France.
