1986-Rededicated to Liberty

In the movie Remo Williams-The Adventure Begins, Fred Ward has a scene swinging from the scaffolding that surrounded the Statue of Liberty. He jumps from bar to bar scaling the hightail of the Statue. The movie which was released October 11, 1985, showed the Statue at a time of renovation. 

The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World is a registered monument with the US Park Service since 1924. It was dedicated in October 28, 1886. Designed by Frederic Bartholdi, it was part of a set. There is a sister statue in Paris. Both statues interior was designed by Gustave Eiffel. It arrived in this country copper colored and it took 30 years to change to the green that we know today. 

This big statue didn't arrive that tall from a ship. It arrived in pieces that needed workers to put together. To pay for such an undertaking, Joseph Pulitzer asked for donations from his newspapers' readers. It took a few years, but they got the money and erected the statue. President Grover Cleveland, born in New Jersey but found political fame in New York, emceed the opening. 

You can walk inside the statue to the crown. There is a circular stairway that winds up to the the top and back down. The torch has been closed since 1916. 

Years of weather and ocean air took a toll on the statue and In 1982, President Reagan organized the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Centenial Commission. They raised money and organized contractors to strengthen the statue. In 1984, the Statue was closed to the public. As you can see from the movie clip, the whole statue was encased in scaffolds. 

The work was due to be done by 1986 and they got it done in time. Liberty Weekend occurred July 3-July 6, 1986. President Reagan and French President Mitterand got together for the reopening. Neil Diamond, John Denver, Melissa Manchester, Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra gave concerts. Chief Justice Warren Burger swore in new immigrants as citizens. A big firework show ended the event. ABC aired the program on television.