Editing Statue of Liberty (section)

===Closures and reopenings (2001–present)===
[[File:National Park Service 9-11 Statue of Liberty and WTC fire.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|The Statue of Liberty on [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]], as the Twin Towers of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] burn in the background]]
[[File:Liberty crown-stairs-resize-4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|alt=The new staircase to the crown|The new staircase to the crown]]

Immediately following the [[September 11 attacks]], the statue and Liberty Island were closed to the public. The island reopened at the end of 2001, while the pedestal and statue remained off-limits. The pedestal reopened in August 2004,<ref name=histcult/> but the National Park Service announced that visitors could not safely be given access to the statue due to the difficulty of evacuation in an emergency. The Park Service adhered to that position through the remainder of the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] administration.<ref name=reopen/> New York Congressman [[Anthony Weiner]] made the statue's reopening a personal crusade.<ref name=Neuman/> On May 17, 2009, President [[Barack Obama]]'s [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]], [[Ken Salazar]], announced that as a "special gift" to America, the statue would be reopened to the public as of July 4, but that only a limited number of people would be permitted to ascend to the crown each day.<ref name=reopen/>

[[File:Liberty Island Jul 2019 27.jpg|thumb|upright|The Statue of Liberty's original torch (1886–1984) displayed in the [[Statue of Liberty Museum]] on [[Liberty Island]]]]

The statue, including the pedestal and base, closed on October 29, 2011, for installation of new elevators and staircases and to bring other facilities, such as restrooms, up to code. The statue was reopened on October 28, 2012,<ref name=StLi/><ref name=Raja/><ref name=SacBee/> but then closed again a day later in advance of [[Hurricane Sandy]].<ref name=NBCNews/> Although the storm did not harm the statue, it destroyed some of the infrastructure on both Liberty and [[Ellis Island]]s, including the dock used by the ferries that ran to Liberty and Ellis Islands. On November 8, 2012, a Park Service spokesperson announced that both islands would remain closed for an indefinite period for repairs to be done.<ref name=NYTstorm/> Since Liberty Island had no electricity, a generator was installed to power temporary floodlights to illuminate the statue at night. The superintendent of [[Statue of Liberty National Monument]], David Luchsinger—whose home on the island was severely damaged—stated that it would be "optimistically&nbsp;... months" before the island was reopened to the public.<ref name=NYTbeat/> The statue and Liberty Island reopened to the public on July 4, 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Long |first=Colleen |title=Statue of Liberty reopens as US marks July Fourth |url=https://news.yahoo.com/statue-liberty-reopens-us-marks-july-fourth-154837229.html |work=Yahoo! News |date=July 4, 2013 |access-date=July 4, 2013 |archive-date=July 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707000055/https://news.yahoo.com/statue-liberty-reopens-us-marks-july-fourth-154837229.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Ellis Island remained closed for repairs for several more months but reopened in late October 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Foderaro |first1=Lisa |title=Ellis Island Welcoming Visitors Once Again, but Repairs Continue |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/nyregion/ellis-island-welcoming-visitors-once-again-but-repairs-continue.html |access-date=October 19, 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=October 28, 2013 |archive-date=July 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708122925/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/nyregion/ellis-island-welcoming-visitors-once-again-but-repairs-continue.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

[[File:Statue of Liberty Torch seen from Easterly View June 2024.jpg|alt=Statue of Liberty Torch seen from Easterly View June 2024|thumb|upright|The Statue of Liberty's torch seen from Easterly View in June 2024]]
The Statue of Liberty has also been closed due to government shutdowns and protests, as well as for disease pandemics. During the October [[2013 United States federal government shutdown]], Liberty Island and other federally funded sites were closed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Armaghan |first=Sarah |title=Statue of Liberty Closed in Shutdown |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2013/10/01/statue-of-liberty-closed-in-shutdown/ |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=October 1, 2013 |access-date=August 4, 2017 |archive-date=August 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818200155/https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2013/10/01/statue-of-liberty-closed-in-shutdown/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, Liberty Island was briefly closed on July 4, 2018, after a woman protesting against American immigration policy climbed onto the statue.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Shannon, James |title=Woman Climbs Base of the Statue of Liberty After ICE Protest |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/07/04/woman-climbs-statue-liberty-after-abolish-ice-protest/758184002/ |website=USA TODAY |access-date=July 5, 2018 |language=en |archive-date=July 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704231945/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/07/04/woman-climbs-statue-liberty-after-abolish-ice-protest/758184002/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the island remained open during the [[2018–19 United States federal government shutdown]] because the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation had donated funds.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Additional funds will keep Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island open during federal shutdown | website=NorthJersey.com | date=January 15, 2019 | url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2019/01/15/statue-liberty-ellis-island-remain-open-despite-federal-shutdown/2584159002/ | access-date=February 28, 2019 | archive-date=March 1, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301093003/https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2019/01/15/statue-liberty-ellis-island-remain-open-despite-federal-shutdown/2584159002/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It closed beginning on March 16, 2020, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island close due to coronavirus outbreak|first=Allen|last=Kim|publisher=[[CNN]]|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/us/statue-liberty-ellis-island-coronavirus-trnd/index.html|date=March 16, 2020|access-date=March 17, 2020|archive-date=March 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317050151/https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/us/statue-liberty-ellis-island-coronavirus-trnd/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 20, 2020, the Statue of Liberty reopened partially under [[COVID-19 pandemic in New York City|New York City's Phase IV guidelines]], with Ellis Island remaining closed.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 13, 2020|title=Statue of Liberty to Open Early Next Week, Ellis Island Kept Closed|url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/statue-of-liberty-ellis-island-expected-to-open-early-next-week/2513523/|access-date=August 3, 2020|website=NBC New York|language=en-US|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808062716/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/statue-of-liberty-ellis-island-expected-to-open-early-next-week/2513523/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=July 17, 2020|title=Reopen News: Liberty Island to only partially reopen Monday, Ellis Islands will remain closed|url=https://abc7ny.com/6318303/|access-date=August 3, 2020|website=ABC7 New York|language=en|archive-date=July 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716231046/https://abc7ny.com/6318303/|url-status=live}}</ref> The crown did not reopen until October 2022.<ref>{{cite web | last=Delaney | first=Jillian | title=Statue of Liberty's crown to open for first time since COVID-19 pandemic | website=[[Staten Island Advance]] | date=October 10, 2022 | url=https://www.silive.com/news/2022/10/statue-of-libertys-crown-to-open-for-first-time-since-covid-19-pandemic.html | access-date=October 10, 2022}}</ref> 

On October 7, 2016, construction started on the new [[Statue of Liberty Museum]] on Liberty Island.<ref name=nydn/> The new $70&nbsp;million, {{Convert|26,000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} museum may be visited by all who come to the island,<ref>{{Cite magazine | title=See Behind the Scenes as the Statue of Liberty's Original Torch Moves to Its New Home | magazine=Time | date=February 18, 2019 | url=https://time.com/5531547/statue-liberty-torch/ | access-date=April 7, 2019 | archive-date=April 7, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407043128/https://time.com/5531547/statue-liberty-torch/ | url-status=live }}</ref> as opposed to the museum in the pedestal, which only 20% of the island's visitors had access to.<ref name=nydn/> The new museum, designed by [[FXFOWLE Architects]], is integrated with the surrounding parkland.<ref name=dnainfo/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.amny.com/news/statue-of-liberty-museum-to-open-on-liberty-island-in-2019-1.12416472|title=Statue of Liberty Museum to open in 2019|last=Pereira|first=Ivan|date=October 6, 2016|newspaper=am New York|access-date=October 7, 2016|archive-date=October 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008162203/https://www.amny.com/news/statue-of-liberty-museum-to-open-on-liberty-island-in-2019-1.12416472|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Diane von Fürstenberg]] headed the fundraising for the museum, and the project received over $40&nbsp;million in fundraising by groundbreaking.<ref name=dnainfo/> The museum opened on May 16, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web | last=Rosenberg | first=Zoe | title=Statue of Liberty will ban tour guides from some of its most popular areas | website=Curbed NY | date=May 1, 2019 | url=https://ny.curbed.com/2019/5/1/18525338/statue-of-liberty-ellis-island-tours-ban | access-date=May 2, 2019 | archive-date=May 1, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501204257/https://ny.curbed.com/2019/5/1/18525338/statue-of-liberty-ellis-island-tours-ban | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Everyone's Welcome at the Statue of Liberty. Except Tour Guides. | website=The New York Times | date=April 1, 2019 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/nyregion/statue-of-liberty-tour-guides.html | access-date=May 2, 2019 | archive-date=May 1, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501232833/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/nyregion/statue-of-liberty-tour-guides.html | url-status=live }}</ref>