Officials Urged To Reopen Statue of Liberty’s Crown
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Lawmakers are urging park officials to reopen the crown of the Statue of Liberty, which has been closed to visitors since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation yesterday providing $1 million to study safety upgrades for the 305-foot statue. Currently visitors can ascend only to the top of the 154-foot pedestal at the feet of the statue.
The National Park Service, which oversees the statue, has said the narrow staircase to the crown is a fire hazard and terrorism risk.
The tourist attraction has seen a 41% drop in visitors since its closing. A congressional staffer familiar with the legislation said he expects the law to be finalized late this summer.
