Statue of Liberty to close for a year after 125th birthday party

The Statue of Liberty officially turns 125 on Oct. 28, when musical programs and special tours are planned to mark the event. The next day, the entire inside of the national monument will be closed for a $27.25 million renovation expected to last a year, the National Park Service announced Wednesday. The work won’t affect the outside of the building on Liberty Island, however, which will remain open to visitors throughout the project.

Upgrades will be made to the statue’s pedestal and the “200-year-old fort base from which the statue rises,” including new elevators and stairways, redone bathrooms and improved electrical and mechanical systems, the park service says.

Most of the estimated 3.5 million tourists who visit the Statue of Liberty each year will be unaffected. They’ll still be able to ferry out from Manhattan to Liberty Island, snap photos and tour the outside.

But the 30% who venture inside to see the statue’s base or crown (available by reservation only and limited to 240 people a day) will have to wait a year. The crown was closed to visitors after 9/11 and reopened in 2009.

Check out the park service website for more information about the renovation.