[6] Ellis Island was made part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument by proclamation of President Lyndon Johnson on May 11, 1965.

[15] Storm damage and the necessary repairs for them have heavily affected Ellis Island as hurricanes have become more common in the New York/New Jersey area.

[19] The Statue of Liberty is a world-famous symbol of freedom, given in 1886 by France to the United States in celebration of American Independence.

[21] Inside the statue, a plaque added in 1903 is engraved with words from "The New Colossus", an 1883 poem by Emma Lazarus:[22]: 165–166 [23]: 172–175 Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!The national monument is located in Upper New York Bay, east of Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, and southwest of Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan in New York City.

[30] Those wishing to climb the 154 stairs to the crown within the statue must obtain a special ticket, which may be reserved up to a year in advance.

[35][36] While repairs to the barge took place, ferry service from Liberty State Park to the monument was halted from January to March of each year.