"Until 1916, visitors were allowed to climb up the torch and enjoy spectacular views like this one, but for more than a century, the torch has been closed to the public — and the little-known reason for that is far more dramatic than most people realize. ⁠

On July 30, 1916, a group of German saboteurs set fire to what was then the United States' largest munitions depot on Black Tom Island, right in the shadow of Lady Liberty. The blaze set off a massive explosion that shattered glass windows across Manhattan and Brooklyn and created an earthquake-sized rumble that woke people up as far away as Maryland. The explosion also caused shrapnel to hit the Statue of Liberty, causing permanent damage to the torch"