What Is the Statue of Liberty?

In July 1976, the United States had a holiday. It was the two-hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. All over the country, towns and cities celebrated. In New York City, there were fireworks, parades, and patriotic speeches. Right in the middle of it all stood that towering symbol of American freedom—the Statue of Liberty!

The statue’s real name is Liberty Enlightening the World, but it’s often called Lady Liberty or the Statue of Liberty. The statue is huge—151 feet and 1 inch tall. That’s about as tall as a tower of thirty-five eleven-year-old kids stacked head-to-toe.

It’s made of copper and is mostly hollow, with a metal skeleton-like support structure inside and stairs so visitors can walk up into its crown. Today about four million people visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island every year.