Discover the Statue of Liberty From Just 55.47€! And more The Statue of Liberty is the most iconic symbol of New York City and the United States of America. It was designed by Frenchman Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and was designated to be a national monument in 1924 and restored on its centennial July 4, 1986. It represents a universal symbol of freedom and democracy, since the day it was built October 28, 1886, and visitors travel from all over the world to reserve tickets and to take tours of the landmark. The Statue of Liberty is found on the Island of Liberty next to Ellis Island, to the south of island of Manhattan. France donated the statue to the U.S. in 1886 to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence of the United States and as a symbol of friendship between the two nations. The French architect Gustave Eiffel, the very same of the Eiffel Tower, designed the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty.