"Liberty Enlightening the World", or better know as the Statue of Liberty, stands as tall today as she did since her dedication in 1886.  This 305' copper statue is the most universal symbol of freedom in the world and was constructed by Frederic-August Bartholdi in Paris, France.  On October 15, 1924, the statue was designated as a National Monument by Presidential Proclamation.  Under the Act of March 3, 1933,, the statue was transferred from the War Department (U.S. Army) to the Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

Next to the Statue of Liberty, stands the Gateway to America for over 12 million immigrants, Ellis Island.  Ellis Island was the nation's principal Port of Entry (POE) between 1892 and 1954.  Today over 100 million Americans can trace a relative coming through this facility.  On May 11,  1965,  President Lyndon Johnson incorporated Ellis Island as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.  The Main Building underwent an extensive $160 million restoration and was opened on September 10, 1990 as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.  Both of these islands are popular National Park sites attracting people from all over the globe.  In 1998, the park was visited by over 5.2 million people making it one of the highest visited NPS sites in the National Park system.

Make the learning connection.  Let our resources come to your class.  Take advantage of the resources that are contained in this site.  The activities are inter-disciplinary and geared to meet
curriculum guidelines.