The Statue of Liberty (photo by Paul Banks | National Park Service)
NEW YORK (AP) - The Statue of Liberty's crown is set to reopen to the public on Sunday - its 126th birthday.
The statue has undergone a yearlong renovation to modernize its interior and improve access for the disabled.
The $30 million renovation project included replacing the stairs to the crown and making them less steep. There are now 393 steps, up from 354.
For the first time, visitors using wheelchairs will be able to visit 1 of the observation decks at the top of the pedestal.
National Parks Service spokeswoman Mindi Rambo says that is as high as it's possible to provide wheelchair access while preserving the historic structure.
The statue's interior has been closed since October 2011, though Liberty Island in New York Harbor was open to visitors.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Friday, May 24 2013 5:33 PM EDT2013-05-24 21:33:47 GMT
New Jersey Transit bus riders will soon have a new way to get across the Hudson River: by boat. The agency is partnering with New York Waterways, which will provide ferry service to customers. The
New Jersey Transit bus riders will soon have a new way to get across the Hudson River: by boat. The agency is partnering with New York Waterways, which will provide ferry service to customers. The
Friday, May 24 2013 4:44 PM EDT2013-05-24 20:44:00 GMT
The unofficial start of summer is being met with not-so-perfect beach weather. Many beach communities had been hoping for good weather this Memorial Day weekend following the destruction caused by superstorm Sandy.
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Friday, May 24 2013 11:12 AM EDT2013-05-24 15:12:21 GMT
AP photo
President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
President Barack Obama plans to give the Jersey Shore a boost with a post-Memorial Day visit to showcase recovery efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
Friday, May 24 2013 9:23 AM EDT2013-05-24 13:23:33 GMT
New Jersey's education commissioner has overturned the firing of a high school athletic director who was caught on camera putting dog waste on his ex-wife's car.
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Thursday, May 23 2013 10:17 PM EDT2013-05-24 02:17:32 GMT
New Jersey officials have seized inventory and demanded records from 29 bars and restaurants, nearly half of them TGI Fridays, that they say sold low-quality liquor to patrons who thought they were buying premium brands.
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Thursday, May 23 2013 10:11 PM EDT2013-05-24 02:11:26 GMT
An Edison, N.J., police officer was arrested and accused of setting fire to the home of a police captain in his department, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
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Thursday, May 23 2013 8:50 PM EDT2013-05-24 00:50:04 GMT
Heavy downpours sparked flash flooding across the tristate area on Thursday. The National Weather Service issued numerous weather alerts for many counties in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
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Friday, May 24 2013 6:16 PM EDT2013-05-24 22:16:27 GMT
When workers installed one of the much-heralded bike-sharing stations on West 22nd Street near 10th Avenue, they put it right in front of the brownstones.
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Friday, May 24 2013 6:09 PM EDT2013-05-24 22:09:59 GMT
New York State has 17,000 highway bridges. There are some bad ones. The Tappan Zee Bridge, for example, is set to be replaced because of aging infrastructure.
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Friday, May 24 2013 5:33 PM EDT2013-05-24 21:33:47 GMT
New Jersey Transit bus riders will soon have a new way to get across the Hudson River: by boat. The agency is partnering with New York Waterways, which will provide ferry service to customers. The
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Authorities say police divers will be back in the Hudson River to resume the search for a man who went into the water while fishing from an Albany-area dock.
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Friday, May 24 2013 4:44 PM EDT2013-05-24 20:44:00 GMT
The unofficial start of summer is being met with not-so-perfect beach weather. Many beach communities had been hoping for good weather this Memorial Day weekend following the destruction caused by superstorm Sandy.
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Connecticut is making $5 million available immediately to cities and towns to help reimburse them for school safety and security upgrades following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
Connecticut is making $5 million available immediately to cities and towns to help reimburse them for school safety and security upgrades following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
Friday, May 24 2013 4:02 PM EDT2013-05-24 20:02:22 GMT
WCS photo
Coney Island's famed New York Aquarium, devastated by Superstorm Sandy, will partially reopen Saturday, May 25, 2013. The Wildlife Conservation Society on Friday showed members of the media parts of
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Friday, May 24 2013 3:40 PM EDT2013-05-24 19:40:02 GMT
The mastermind of a botched robbery that resulted in the death of an NYPD officer has been convicted of murder. Nelson Morales was also convicted Friday of burglary in the December 2011 incident that
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Friday, May 24 2013 3:29 PM EDT2013-05-24 19:29:58 GMT
The National Park Service is ending unpaid leave for U.S. Park Police officers earlier than expected. National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said the furloughs will end on June 3, after just
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Friday, May 24 2013 2:46 PM EDT2013-05-24 18:46:22 GMT
A Bronx teacher says her language lesson was lost in translation when she was fired for calling a student "Negro" — though she claims she was simply using the Spanish word for the color "black".
A Bronx teacher says her language lesson was lost in translation when she was fired for calling a student "Negro" — though she claims she was simply using the Spanish word for the color "black".
The Statue of Liberty (photo by Paul Banks | National Park Service)
