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All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan Statue of Liberty's Original Torch
AO Edited

Statue of Liberty's Original Torch

Lady Liberty's first beacon of enlightenment is now displayed in a museum near the statue.

New York, New York

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The torch in its new location at the Statue of Liberty Museum.   David Brossard/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Alexa Harrison
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The original torch in its old display in the pedestal museum.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Lady Liberty.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Lady Liberty.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
  thegenxjourney / Atlas Obscura User
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It was removed in 1986 due to corrosion   I has a bucket / Atlas Obscura User
Original Liberty torch, September 2023   jsbarclay / Atlas Obscura User
The original torch   I has a bucket / Atlas Obscura User
  userofnames / Atlas Obscura User
The original torch.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
The original torch was replaced in 1986.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Towering over a tiny chunk of land in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty has greeted millions of tourists and immigrants that come to the United States through New York City. The iconic Lady Liberty clutches a torch in her raised hand, which symbolizes enlightenment. But the light she holds up as a beacon today isn't the original.

Dedicated in 1886 as a gift from France, the last 100-odd years of weathering the elements has taken its toll on the monument. Its color changed from copper to blue-green, and even its signature accessory has been replaced.

The original torch held in Lady Liberty's raised hand was swapped for a newer, more efficient design in 1984. Fortunately, the original torch was not thrown out when the current version took its place two years later. Rather, it was placed in the museum below, in the statue pedestal.

In 2018, the original torch was removed from the pedestal and relocated to the neighboring Statue of Liberty Museum, which opened in May 2019. 

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satxwdavis

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K Cady, I has a bucket, thegenxjourney, Michelle Cassidy...

  • K Cady
  • I has a bucket
  • thegenxjourney
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • jsbarclay
  • userofnames

Published

October 19, 2017

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  • https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm
  • https://www.nps.gov/stli/faqs.htm
  • https://untappedcities.com/2018/11/15/statue-of-libertys-original-torch-moved-into-new-museum-on-liberty-island-today/
Statue of Liberty's Original Torch
Liberty Island
New York, New York, 10004
United States
40.69095, -74.04606
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