The centerpiece of the new museum is the statue's original copper torch, which was damaged in an explosion in 1916 and replaced in 1985. (The replacement was a gold-plated replica.) Also on display are other artifacts that, along with the torch, have been limited access, behind the economic threshold of a special tier of ticket. Now, anyone who visits Liberty Island can enjoy the museum without having to pay anything.

The museum itself is a combination of indoor and outdoor elements. Visitors on the outside have the impression that the glass walls and copper-colored roof appear to be coming right out of the earth.

Inside the new museum are three galleries:

• Displays in one gallery feature the building of the statue; in one part of that gallery is a life-size replica of Lady Liberty's foot.
• Another gallery shows visitors a film that covers the visualization and construction process undergone by designer Frederic-August Bartholdi. The film incorporates drone footage, including a series of shots that trace the drone's rise up through the inside of the statue.
• A third gallery encourages visitors to take digital selfies with a pairing of the original torch with a replica of the statue's face.

Built in France and shipped to New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty officially opened for visitors in 1886. Since then, it has been a beacon for immigrants the world over and a destination for tourists from all over the U.S.