The Statue of Liberty describes her daily routine of welcoming thousands of visitors to Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Each day, ferry boats bring tourists who take photos of the statue and climb her narrow interior stairs to view the city from her crown. Though she hears the same facts about her history and symbolism over a thousand times daily, the Statue of Liberty enjoys attracting over two million visitors annually and watching the daily bustle of activity on Liberty Island.

1. 8:00 a.m.
I watch the millions of people run around New York
City. Probably many of them are coming to see me!
Thousands of people visit me every single day. After
all, I am the Statue of Liberty. My home is in south-
ern Manhattan on Liberty Island. This has been my
home for a while, but before I came here I lived in
France. I was a gift from France. They thought that
they should give a gift to the Americans as a symbol
of friendship and American Independence. I was ac-
tually built in France as well, but I was taken apart
(that hurt a bit), packed in 214 cases, and shipped
to New York!

2. 8:45 a.m.
Here come the custodians. They clean up Liberty
Island and all around the base, which I stand upon.
And there are the food venders. They always ar-
rive before opening times. They open their shops
and get ready for another big day. The food peo-
ple serve hotdogs, hamburgers, ice cream and
many other foods.

3. 9:30 a.m.
The tourists are coming! They left New York City
at Battery Park and are now on the ferry. They
look extremely excited. This is the first of many
ferries of the day. Many people are here to just
walk around Liberty Island and stare up at me, but
only a few are going to go inside of me. The num-
ber of these people is very limited. Only about 240
out of thousands are allowed each day.

4. 9:50 a.m.
Many camera flashes are going off! It is so bright!
I feel like I’m a movie star! However, I have not al-
ways been open to the public. After the terrorist
attack at the World Trade Center, they closed Lib-
erty Island. Then, a number of years later, I was
reopened to the public! That was a relief; I started
to get bored!

5. 10:30 a.m.
Some people are starting to go inside of me. These peo-
ple made reservations up to six months in advance.
They climb single file up all of my 142 steps. When they
climb, it kind of tickles! The metal steps are very nar-
row, steep, and are spiral. The people who are allowed in
me can go up to my crown. In my crown, there is an ob-
servation deck. They can stick their heads out of my
crown windows and look down at the tiny people. My
crown has seven spikes. Each spike represents free-
dom’s light shining on the all seven continents and seas.
One person said that she was really hot in me. It is be-
cause I am 151 feet high, and on summer days, it gets
well over 100 degrees. With my base, I am 302 feet
high.

6. 11:13 a.m.
The group is starting to go back down my 142
steps. On the way down, the tour guide talks
about me. The facts are getting really annoying.
Let me put it this way, I hear the same facts
more than 1,000 times a day on Liberty Island!
She says that I am made out of thin sheets of
pounded copper. I am composed of more than 300
copper sheets and sections 3/32 of an inch thick.
Also, I am supported by an iron framework. I
think you understand...

7. 11:30 a.m.
The first group’s ferry is leaving and the next group
to visit Liberty Island arrives. Tourists from around
the world are taking pictures of me; the flashes hurt
my eyes! On Liberty Island, the tour guides tell the
people about me. They talk about my history. They
say that I was completed in 1886. My left hand holds
a tablet with the date July 4, 1776, which repre-
sents the Declaration of Independence. The broken
chain near my feet symbolizes the victory of liberty
over tyranny. Also, I was made a national monument
in 1924.

8. 2:00 p.m.
Many groups have came and gone throughout the
day. But I am still not done for today. The last
ferry leaves Liberty Island at 3:30, which means
I have one hour and a half left. A family is in me
right now. The tour guide says that I weigh
450,000 pounds. Yes, I am a big lady, but people
still love me! These tourists, like many others,
waited in line for the ferry trip to see me for
over 90 minutes!

9. 3:30 p.m.
The last ferry leaves for the day. I smile at my
visitors as they ride on the ferry back to New York
City. Now the food sellers pack up their stands and
the custodians clean. Then they go on their boats
and head home for the day.

10. 8:00 p.m.
I’m alone on my island. It is kind of peaceful now,
but sometimes I get bored. I think about how
lucky I am to attract more than two million visi-
tors a year. Good night, New York.

11. Venders: a person who sell something
Limited: confined within limits; re-
stricted
Reservations:
Observation Deck
Monument
Attract