Statue of Liberty torch remains closed 110 years after 1916 sabotage
The Statue of Liberty’s torch has been closed to the public since 1916 due to damage from the Black Tom explosion, a German sabotage attack on a munitions depot in New York Harbor. The blast, which occurred before the US entered World War I, caused shrapnel to hit the statue’s arm, leading to a permanent closure of the 40-foot ladder to the torch balcony. While the crown remains accessible, the torch has never been reopened to visitors, even after major restorations. The original torch was replaced in the 1980s, and the current one is only accessed by National Park Service staff for maintenance. The event also led to espionage legislation and a long legal battle for compensation from Germany, which concluded in 1979.
