Statue of Liberty crown reopens

The crown of Lady Liberty on Liberty Island in New York Harbor reopened Saturday, fittingly enough on Independence Day. The monument closed almost eight years ago.

On a day for celebrating liberty, Lady Liberty reopened her crown to visitors for the first time since September 11, 2001. Closed after the terrorist attacks on New York City, the Statue of Liberty reopened Saturday. The small crown sits almost 300 feet above New York Harbor and can host 30 visitors an hour. ABC News calls the monument a symbol of hope and strength. "I think it had to happen. [September 11] was a terrible tragedy, but getting this reopened shows our experience and rejuvenation," tourist Steve Sardinia, Jr., a Long Island resident, told ABC News. There was even a proposal. Aaron Weisinger and his girlfriend, Erica Breder were engaged just hours after the crown reopened. Breder told the Associated Press the proposal was "perfect." The statue, designed by Édouard René de Laboulaye, was a gift to the United States from France to celebrate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence, which was signed on July 4, 1776.