Most Americans agree that the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is the symbol of liberty, but agreeing on the meaning of liberty is something else entirely. The contested and ever-changing meanings of the term are one reason behind the museum, which is free for visitors who purchase tickets to ferry over to Liberty Island.
Designed by FXCollaborative, who conceived of the Statue of Liberty Museum as a “garden pavilion,” the small one-story building tucked into the northwest corner of island sits low but is intentionally lifted a few feet above the 500-year floor plain. Visitors therefore ascend steps or a ramp to access the building, which has more exterior steps (or an elevator) up to the roof for panoramic views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline.