Fact #26
June 24, 2026The Statue of Liberty Wasn't Always Green
When the Statue of Liberty was donated to us by the French, she wasn't green at all. Her color was more of a copper-brown, closer to the color of a new penny. Due to the copper skin being naturally oxidized by the harbor air in New York, its color changed to sea green around 30 years later.
Mini Facts
1
It was donated in 1886, but its color didn't fully change till 1916.
2
The green patina helps protect the copper underneath from wearing away.
3
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge officially designated it a national monument.