New York’s Statue of Liberty is to close for a year at the end of October for a $27.25 million renovation designed to make the interior safer and more accessible.
The US National Parks Service, which manages the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, said it will close the monument on October 28, after the 125th anniversary of its dedication, according to Associated Press.
Electrical and fire suppression systems are to be upgraded together with elevators and bathrooms. Liberty Island will remain open and the statue itself will be mostly unobstructed from view, officials said.
The statue was closed after the September 11 terror attacks for security precautions, but the base reopened in 2004 after a $20 million security upgrade. The observation deck at the top of the crown was reopened on July 4, 2009.
The National Parks Service controls the number of visitors to the crown of the statue, saying about 240 people visit each day. About 3.5 million people visit the monument every year.