On June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States, arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isère. This monumental statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel, was shipped in 350 individual pieces packed in more than 200 cases. The Statue of Liberty would later be assembled on what is now Liberty Island and dedicated on October 28, 1886. It has since stood as a powerful symbol of freedom and a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad, representing hope and opportunity.
