<P> On July 30 , 1916 , during World War I , German saboteurs set off a disastrous explosion on the Black Tom peninsula in Jersey City , New Jersey , in what is now part of Liberty State Park , close to Bedloe 's Island . Carloads of dynamite and other explosives that were being sent to Britain and France for their war efforts were detonated , and seven people were killed . The statue sustained minor damage , mostly to the torch - bearing right arm , and was closed for ten days . The cost to repair the statue and buildings on the island was about US $100,000 ( equivalent to $2,200,917 in 2016 ) . The narrow ascent to the torch was closed for public - safety reasons , and it has remained closed ever since . </P>
<P> On July 30 , 1916 , during World War I , German saboteurs set off a disastrous explosion on the Black Tom peninsula in Jersey City , New Jersey , in what is now part of Liberty State Park , close to Bedloe 's Island . Carloads of dynamite and other explosives that were being sent to Britain and France for their war efforts were detonated , and seven people were killed . The statue sustained minor damage , mostly to the torch - bearing right arm , and was closed for ten days . The cost to repair the statue and buildings on the island was about US $100,000 ( equivalent to $2,200,917 in 2016 ) . The narrow ascent to the torch was closed for public - safety reasons , and it has remained closed ever since . </P>
when did they close the arm of the statue of liberty
when did they close the arm of the statue of liberty
July 30 , 1916
July 30 , 1916