New York ( CNN ) New York 's iconic Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island will reopen to the public Saturday -- one day after a bomb threat that led to its evacuation was declared unfounded , officials said . The NYPD bomb squad on Friday examined a locker thought to contain a suspicious package and found it was empty , a law enforcement official said . Police declared the scene clear at 3:15 p.m. Other lockers checked as a precautionary measure , the law enforcement source said . Images posted on social media showed crowds of visitors walking on ramps to awaiting ferries . All civilians were evacuated and only emergency personnel remained on Liberty Island , according to police . The fire department had EMS units there as a precaution . Mike Burke , the head of Statue Cruises , which operates the ferry to the island , said : `` Our first priority is the safety and well being of all of our visitors . '' Burke said about 2,700 people were safely transported from the island and offered full refunds . Service to Liberty Island is to resume at 8:30 a.m. Saturday . Shortly after 11 a.m. , the National Park Service was informed that a 911 caller made a threat to blow up the Statue of Liberty -- which led to the evacuation , according to park service spokeswoman Mindi Rambo . A sweep by U.S. Park Police canine units `` alerted on an area of interest near the lockers at the base '' of the Statue of Liberty , Rambo said . Park police had notified the NYPD , which dispatched its bomb squad , officials said . It is not uncommon to get false positives from the bomb-sniffing dogs . `` Following their investigation , it was determined that there was not an explosive device , '' Rambo said . Approximately 3.5 million people visit the Statue of Liberty every year . Visitors must pass through security screening similar to airport security procedures , according to the National Park Service . Previously , the statue closed in November 2012 because of significant damage sustained from Superstorm Sandy . It reopened on July 4 , 2013 , with a ribbon cutting ceremony and long lines of tourists . The last time the island shut down to the public was in October 2013 , when it closed for 12 days because of the a government shutdown . The statue was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland on October 28 , 1886 . It was a gift to the United States from the people of France to commemorate 100 years of Franco-American friendship as well as the centennial of America 's independence .
Statue of Liberty to reopen Saturday . Locker thought to have a suspicious package was empty , police say . Statue of Liberty evacuated after bomb threat , officials say . The evacuation came after a phoned threat , sources say .