What to Know
- Statue of Liberty's original torch has found a new home across the island in what will be a museum dedicated to Lady Liberty's legacy
- The torch, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, was removed in 1984 and replaced by a replica; it's been in the statue's pedestal since
- The new museum is expected to open to public in May 2019. Access is free with purchase of a ferry ticket to visit Liberty and Ellis islands
The Statue of Liberty's original torch was moved Thursday to its new home in what will become a 26,000-square-foot museum dedicated to Lady Liberty's global legacy.
The 3,600-pound torch, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, was removed in 1984 and replaced by a replica as part of the monument's centennial restoration. It's been on display inside the statue's pedestal since then.
On Thursday, a special hydraulically stabilizied transporter vehicle moved the torch to the new museum site on Liberty Island, where it finds a home in the Inspiration Gallery. The Statue of Liberty Museum was designed by architecture firm FXCollaborative with exhibitions created by the firm ESI Design.
The torch, made of copper and amber glass, is more than 16 feet tall and 12 feet across; the doors of the new museum are just shy of 8 feet high so it had to be disassembled before it could be brought to its new home in the museum.
The museum, part of a $100 million upgrade to Liberty Island, is expected to open to the public in May 2019. Access will be free with purchase of a fetty ticket to visit Liberty and Ellis islands.
