Statue of Liberty to reopen July 4 for the first time since Hurricane Sandy

A contractor rebuilds the walkway on Liberty Island.
A contractor rebuilds the walkway on Liberty Island.

NPS PHOTO by Kevin Daley.

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News Release Date: July 1, 2013

Contact: John Harlan Warren, 917-299-3843

RSVP Required for Media Access to Liberty Island Reopening Ceremony

NEW YORK, N.Y. – On July 4, 2013, the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island will reopen to the public for the first time since Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 29, 2012. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will join New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, and other dignitaries in a ceremony and ribbon cutting on Liberty Island to celebrate the reopening at 10:30 a.m.

A ferry from the Marine Inspection Office will provide accredited media access to Liberty Island to cover the reopening ceremony. There will be no media access to the Statue or pedestal.

MEDIA INSTRUCTIONS

Credentialed members of the media must RSVP via email no later than 12:00 P.M. EDT on Wednesday, July 3, to secure space on the ferry. Please send an email to e-mail us with "STATUE REOPENING RSVP" in the subject line. Please include the name of the media outlet you represent, contact information, and the names and titles of representatives attending the event. Media outlets wishing to bring satellite trucks are required to RSVP no later than Tuesday, July 2 at 3:00 p.m.

8:00 a.m. Media must check in at the Marine Inspection Office located in between the U.S. Coast Guard building and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan. Please bring media credentials and photo ID with you. RSVP by Wednesday, July 3 required to board the ferry.

9:00 a.m. Media setup for reopening ceremony at flagpole pavilion.

10:30 a.m. Ceremony begins. Performances by the U.S. Park Police Color Guard, the Third United States Army Infantry Regiment, "The Old Guard", and West Point Band vocalist Master Sergeant MaryKay Messenger.

10:35 a.m. Remarks by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, and Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Superintendent David Luchsinger.

11:10 a.m. Ribbon cutting and performance by singer/actor Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos) to close the ceremony.

11:20 a.m. Walking tour of the island with Secretary Jewell, Superintendent Luchsinger, and other dignitaries to view areas repaired since the storm.

12:00 p.m. Tour concludes.

TRANSPORTATION DETAILS

The National Park Service will provide a ferry that will depart from the Marine Inspection Office, located in between the U.S. Coast Guard building and Staten Island Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan. You must arrive by 8 a.m. A National Park Service employee will meet media representatives at the entrance to check you in and provide digital press kits with photos and materials. Make sure you have press credentials and a photo ID with you and prepare for inspection by U.S. Park Police before boarding the ferry. Media may bring small carts or dollies for equipment, all of which will be screened before boarding.

Return trips to Manhattan will be on the visitor ferries run by our concessioner, Statue Cruises. New York and New Jersey ferries leave from separate docks. Manhattan ferries depart from the newly rebuilt work dock near the front of the Statue every 15 minutes until 4:45 p.m. Return trips to New Jersey leave from the temporary barge near the concessions, which depart the island every 30 minutes until 4:45 p.m. Ferries are for passengers only, not for vehicles.

ABOUT STATUE OF LIBERTY NATIONAL MONUMENT

The Statue of Liberty, titled Liberty Enlightening the World, is located on a 14-acre island in New York Harbor.A gift from the people of France, the Statue is now a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.



Last updated: January 8, 2018

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