The Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island opened to the public following a dedication ceremony presented by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and the National Park Service. The museum was designed by architecture firm FXCollaborative with exhibits created by ESI Design. The structure was built by Phelps Construction Group. SBI Consultants served as the owner's representative coordinating activities among all stakeholders.
"While the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons in the world, few people ever get to climb to its crown or get to see Lady Liberty's face up close," said Edwin Schlossberg, Founder and Principal Designer of ESI Design. "Our goal for the design of the museum experience is to immerse visitors in not just the grandeur and sweeping history of the Statue, but also in the very idea of liberty itself so that they leave with a deeper understanding of what it means to them and the active role required to uphold it."
The 26,000 square foot museum features three gallery spaces, each one meant to inspire visitors and educate them about the Statue of Liberty in interactive and thought-provoking ways.
The museum experience begins with a sweeping immersive film that takes visitors on a flythrough inside the monument.
Visitors then encounter interactive exhibits that bring to life the Statue's construction, history, and global impact; an interactive gallery invites guests to share what liberty means to them by adding a self-portrait to an ever-growing digital mural called Becoming Liberty.
The experience culminates with an up-close view of Liberty's most iconic symbol, her original torch, held high for nearly 100 years. Rescued from the elements and replaced in 1986, the torch is the most powerful artifact visitors encounter as they reach the end of the museum experience.
The museum merges landscape and building, and the roof is planted with native meadow grasses and offers visitors sweeping, panoramic views of Lady Liberty, lower Manhattan, and all of New York Harbor. Access to the museum is free with the purchase of a Statue Cruises ferry ticket to Liberty and Ellis Islands.
Photography: Keena Photo