Today we are delighted to welcome visitors once again to the Statue of Liberty.

The wonderful statue stands tall today as America's symbol of freedom - as she has since 1886.

Her torch has welcomed all who have come to America seeking the ideals for which she stands -- Hope. A New Life. Freedom. Lady Liberty is the triumphant symbol of freedom in the world.

She represents the American dream - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. She stands for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech -- a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Since September 11th her symbolism has taken on added meaning. Her endurance at the mouth of New York Harbor now symbolizes America's belief in a better tomorrow, her strength in the face of challenges to our liberties.

Even when visitors could not come inside the monument itself over the past few years, the statue has still reached out to them with inspiration. She has still been a beacon to the world. She has still held an irreplaceable place in our hearts.

For many immigrants, the first impression of America was the Statue of Liberty. These Americans-to-be - whether they came from a small town in Greece or Poland, or a city like Rome or Dublin - often heard about the statue long before they left their home countries. Their stories have striking similarities.

Many of those immigrants later recalled seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time from the railing of a boat with everyone on deck. Mothers in long skirts clutched the hands of young children. Teenagers clambered to reach a good vantage point. Fathers stood guard over suitcases containing their family's meager belongings.

"Here we are entering the harbor," one immigrant said, "the boat's blowing its whistle. All of a sudden we saw the Statue of Liberty. You really have to live this through to be able to realize what goes through your mind, how you're affected, what it does to you. …

"You're saying, 'Thank God. I am free, I coming to a place where I can be free… I want to thank America, I want to thank our Constitution that gave us all of this.' "

Another elderly woman described a common scene on the deck of boats long ago: "People were screaming, some of them were crying, some were dancing. It was all a kind of joyous feeling of freedom. If I could reach (the statue), I would kiss her."

"When we saw Miss Liberty," said another immigrant, "We were so happy & we started to sing-it was in Hungarian but I'll translate it-'In America life is golden . . . the flowers are more beautiful in America. The world is much better, in America living is golden.'"

Like seeing the world anew through the eyes of a child, hearing the enthusiastic vision of our nation through the eyes of new immigrants reminds us of our privilege to live in this Land of the Free.

We all remember that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France. We remember less well that the gift was conceived while France endured the reign of Napoleon the 3rd, and the French saw the statue as a way to remind their own countrymen of the importance of restoring freedom.

The statue's origin is international. Its formal title is "Liberty Enlightening the World." Not just the United States. The World.

Our symbol of liberty has inspired millions around the world. It rallies freedom fighters in the furthest corners of the globe.

The torch the Statue of Liberty carries in her hand shines into Afghanistan, where millions of Afghanis have recently registered to vote in their first election after ouster of the Taliban.

Her torch shines into Iraq, emerging from the shadow of dictatorship.

With a light more brilliant than the eye can perceive, that torch illuminated the dawning of freedom in East Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. It even pierced the impenetrability of the Iron Curtain, as communism gave way to freedom.

Just as the Statue reminds all Americans of our love of freedom, it gives focus to the larger human striving to live free.

The Statue inspires us when we enjoy visiting this island with our families on a warm and sunny summer day. She inspires brave and determined Americans fighting for freedom half a world away.

Because the Statue of Liberty is so important to America, and to freedom-loving people everywhere in the world - we at the Department of the Interior take with intense seriousness our responsibility to care for her.

After the closure of the Statue on September 11th, we studied ways to prevent terrorism. We also considered visitor and safety problems that had been overlooked for years.

One aspect of American freedom is to put in concrete form the fruits of a free mind. The result is well known as American ingenuity. That ingenuity is displayed through the work of National Park Service employees and our partners who combined visitor safety improvements with better ways of telling the statue's own story.

We have combined a totally new, interactive visit with magnificent and breathtaking views of Manhattan and New York Harbor.

We're going to bring the whole experience to life - guided tours into the statue with an enhanced lighting and video system and several self-paced activities on Ellis and Liberty Islands.

In the process of creating the new experience, we made many critical repairs and upgrades to this 20th century monumental work of art and marvel of engineering.

To increase visitor safety and protection of the landmark, the National Park Service is using 21st Century technology that guards against terrorism.

Now, more than ever before, the statue will be accessible to the handicapped. To eliminate long lines and improve the visitor's experience, we've put a tour reservation system in place to provide timed tours.

We've done all possible to balance protecting a national treasure with maintaining access and delivering a safe, high-quality visit.

All of this has come about because public-private partnerships have come together to help open the statue's doors.

The private sector contributed leadership, expertise, financial support - and a powerful voice for Lady Liberty's opening. The partnership of the federal government and the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation has made this possible.

I have talked with many people working here on the planning, design and construction. All are deservedly proud of their contribution to such an important patriotic symbol.

Today we open a new chapter for Lady Liberty. The new Statue of Liberty experience will continue to inspire and engage millions of visitors, for years to come. We welcome everyone to come share the experience.

God bless America!