After 2 Years, the Statue of Liberty’s Crown Is Finally Reopening to the Public

The Statue of Liberty has welcomed all since its dedication on October 29, 1886, but recently there have been a few caveats. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, access to the crown has been closed off for over two years. Beginning this week, you can get inside Lady Liberty’s head once more.

According to CNN, the crown—and everything else related to the Statue—was locked up in March 2020 in response to the concern over COVID-19 transmission. While portions of the landmark gradually reopened to the public, the crown was kept shuttered owing in part to a low hiring pool for attendants and security.

The public has clearly missed being there: The National Park Service, which oversees the Statue, had originally planned on opening it in late October to observe the Statue’s 136th anniversary. But demand proved so strong that it’s open now. The bad news? Tickets are sold out, so you might have a bit of a wait.

It’s also not for the cardio-challenged. Reaching the crown requires climbing 162 steps, and there’s no elevator to fall back on. The NPS actually cautions visitors suffering from heart or respiratory conditions or claustrophobia against the ascension.

If you make it up there, you can impress your companions with some trivia: The spikes on her crown aren’t actually meant to be part of her apparel. They’re a halo, with the seven protrusions meant to represent the seven seas and continents.

[h/t Time Out]