the Statue of Liberty’s crown will be reopened to the public for the first time since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The NPS will start taking reservations this Saturday.
Lots of people feel that this is a development long past due. When security concerns forced the closing of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a coalition of New York/New Jersey boosters and tourism industry interests immediately began exerting political pressure to get it reopened. Millions of people throughout the country agreed that reestablishing public access to Lady Liberty would be an important expression of national pride and resolve.
Great joy attended the reopening of the Statue's base, pedestal and outdoor observation deck in 2004. Attention then came to focus on the matter of reopening the crown to public visitation.By last summer, reopening the crown had become a very hot button issue. With political pressure ramping up swiftly, the National Park Service was really feeling the heat. Initial NPS resistance to the crown reopening transitioned to a cooperative stance, and a detailed feasibility study was ordered. The study showed that it could be done (no surprise there), and when newly-appointed Interior Secretary Ken Salazar contributed his enthusiastic endorsement, the deal was sealed.
The first batch of crown visits will take place in less than a month. To cope with heavy demand, the Park Service has worked out a reservation system that has these salient features:
Lots of people feel that this is a development long past due. When security concerns forced the closing of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a coalition of New York/New Jersey boosters and tourism industry interests immediately began exerting political pressure to get it reopened. Millions of people throughout the country agreed that reestablishing public access to Lady Liberty would be an important expression of national pride and resolve.
Great joy attended the reopening of the Statue's base, pedestal and outdoor observation deck in 2004. Attention then came to focus on the matter of reopening the crown to public visitation.By last summer, reopening the crown had become a very hot button issue. With political pressure ramping up swiftly, the National Park Service was really feeling the heat. Initial NPS resistance to the crown reopening transitioned to a cooperative stance, and a detailed feasibility study was ordered. The study showed that it could be done (no surprise there), and when newly-appointed Interior Secretary Ken Salazar contributed his enthusiastic endorsement, the deal was sealed.
The first batch of crown visits will take place in less than a month. To cope with heavy demand, the Park Service has worked out a reservation system that has these salient features:
