The Crown of the Statue of Liberty will once again open to visitors today

New York - The crown observation deck of the famous New York Statue of Liberty will reopen to the public today in celebration of American Independence after years of closure. Authorities had closed it for safety reasons following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. They feared that in the event of a similar incident, it would be too complicated to evacuate visitors from the monument.
    Only a narrow staircase leads to the crown of the statue. The museum and the lower observation deck were reopened in 2004, but visitors were not allowed further. Today, only ten people will be allowed in the crown at a time to avoid overcrowding.
    The Statue of Liberty is a French gift to the United States. It symbolizes the friendship and assistance that France provided to American colonists in their fight for independence from Great Britain, which began in 1776. The official unveiling ceremony of the Statue of Liberty took place in 1886.
    The number of tourists visiting the statue has decreased since the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to official statistics, 3.2 million people visited it in 2007, compared to 2.5 million a year earlier. However, in the year 2000, 3.6 million people visited it.