See the Designs for the Statue of Liberty’s New $70 Million Museum

When the Statue of Liberty was completed in 1886, it welcomed millions of immigrants to America. Now the 305-foot-tall bronze sculpture will welcome a new $70 million museum dedicated to Lady Liberty herself. Plans for the 25,830-square-foot space located at the base of the structure have just been unveiled to the public. The museum's exhibitions, conceived by New York–based ESI Design, will allow visitors to explore the statue's storied past, including its original design and construction and its 1986 centennial restoration. “Our goal is for visitors to take away a richer picture of what the Statue of Liberty has meant to people throughout her history—not only in this nation but around the world,” said Edwin Schlossberg, ESI Design president and principal designer, in a statement.

Yet the focus is not purely historical. One exhibit will take visitors on a virtual tour of the monument itself. Linking new and old is a central theme of the museum, whose centerpiece will be the statue's original torch, which was replaced during a renovation in the 1980s. The old torch will be displayed in a glass-walled space, allowing visitors to view it and its replacement at the same time.

An aerial rendering of the new $70 million Statue of Liberty museum.

Designed by New York architecture firm FxFowle, the museum will have a grass-covered roof and bird-safe glass windows, creating an eco-friendly environment on Liberty Island. Furthermore, Phelps Construction Group, the team tasked with building the museum, will use materials native to the area, including Stony Creek granite, bronze, plaster, and a variety of indigenous plants.

The museum—which is being funded by the National Park Service—is expected to open in 2019. Entry will be free with the purchase of a ferry ticket to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.