Statue of Liberty's Crown Reopens

Here's a look inside the Statue of Liberty's crown.

(ABC News)
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View From the Top

Visitors can climb 354 steps from the ground level in the pedestal lobby to the observation deck in the crown. Two narrow, intertwining staircases in a double-helix design are the paths up and down.

As part of the improved security, visitors will only ascend to the crown in groups of 10, accompanied by a National Park Service ranger. Tours will be limited to three per hour, and everyone will be allowed up to 15 minutes at the observation desk.

Along the way to the top, visitors see the scaffolding skeleton designed by Gustave Eiffel. Tiny points of sunlight stream through the areas where Lady Liberty's copper skin has been pierced.

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And just 162 steps after the top of the pedestal, visitors are at the main attraction. Twenty-five windows look out onto New York harbor. The statue faces southeast, in the direction of France, to welcome ships as they sail into New York. From the smallest windows, visitors can read the tablet from a higher angle and see the bottom of the torch.

Inside the observation deck, the temperature can be up to 20 degrees hotter. There is no air conditioning, and visitors daring enough to touch the low copper ceiling may be surprised at how hot the metal gets.

The Statue of Liberty will remain open for the next two years before closing again for additional safetey maintenence.

Tickets to the Statue of Liberty's crown can be purchased at www.statuecruises.com. Crown tickets are $3 and are reservable on a first-come, first-served basis. Ferry passage is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for children ages 4-12. For more information about the Statue of Liberty, visit www.nps.gov/stli.