NEW YORK—From foreign gift to American icon; the Statue of Liberty turns 125 on Friday with a celebration meant to mimic the one held 125 years ago.
The Statue of Liberty, whose official name is “Liberty Enlightening the World,” was a gift from the people of France to the United States following the Civil War. The dedication ceremony on Oct. 28, 1886, was attended by President Grover Cleveland and followed by a fireworks display and New York City’s first ever ticker tape parade, according to the National Parks Service (NPS).
Now, NPS and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Foundation want to capture some of the history by recreating the day’s events from more than a century ago.
Among other traditions, the day will include a presentation of Gifts of Friendship to a representative of the French government, and the ceremonial “lighting” of a new torch webcam that will showcase views of New York Harbor and the statue.
The grand finale will be a 12-minute Macy’s fireworks spectacular around Liberty Island. The fireworks will be viewable from Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and Liberty State Park as well as online.
The fireworks will begin at 7:45 p.m. The main ceremony will be at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
