New York:
Her gold-plated torch and inscription - "Give me your tired, your poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free" - has been a beacon of hope to millions but post 9/11, for eight years now, America's most iconic symbol of freedom has been locked away.
After 9/11, the Statue of Liberty seemed an obvious and vulnerable target: a world-famous monument visited by thousands daily with no easy escape.
Now, once again, visitors will be able to get a view of Manhattan from the 25 windows in her crown.
"The security threats are still there but at least we are telling them that we are not scared and we are going to go on with life as usual," said a local.
Only 30 people will be allowed in to the crown at a time and the only way up is through a narrow 168-step spiral staircase.
So it's not for comfort. It's considered a NY experience to climb the Statue of Liberty.
While domestic terrorist attacks are still a security concern, the symbolic reopening of Lady Liberty on America's Independence Day is perhaps a declaration that personal freedom and public life will not be held hostage to those concerns.