The Statue of Liberty is a
towering symbol of American
democracy.

Today the Statue stands as a universal symbol of political freedom and democracy.

Made of copper, steel, and concrete, the Statue soars more than 300 feet high. Visitors climb the 22 stories to reach the crown that displays 25 windows that symbolize the earth's gemstones and the heaven's rays shining over the world. The seven rays of the crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world. The table that the Statue holds in her left hand is inscribed, "July 4, 1776."

The United States financed and designed the Statue pedestal. In France, sculptor Frederic August Bartholdi and designer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel worked together to design the Statue. When completed, it was shipped in 350 pieces and reassembled on the pedestal.

On October 28, 1886, after four months of construction, President Grover Cleveland accepted the Statue on behalf of the United States and said in part: "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."

The Statue of Liberty was designated as a National Monument in 1924.