NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- The crown of the Statue of Liberty will re-open to tourists on July 4 , the Interior Department said Friday . The Statue of Liberty welcomes visitors , immigrants , and returning Americans . The crown was closed after the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 , for safety and security reasons . The National Park Service closed the attraction amid worries that it would be difficult for visitors to evacuate quickly in the event of an emergency . Visitors must climb a narrow 168-step double-helix spiral staircase to get to the crown . Since the closing , tourists have been able to visit other parts of the statue . iReport.com : Show us your best Statue of Liberty shots . The federal government planned to give `` America a special gift '' by re-opening the crown , Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said . `` We are once again inviting the public to celebrate our great nation and the hope and opportunity it symbolizes by climbing to Lady Liberty 's crown for a unique view of New York Harbor , where the forebears of millions of American families first saw the world , '' he said in a statement . Access to the crown will be limited to 10 people at a time , guided by a National Park Service ranger . `` We can not eliminate all the risk of climbing to the crown , but we are taking steps to make it safer , '' Salazar said . The measures include raising the handrails on the spiral staircase and stationing rangers throughout the Statue to help visitors . The Statue of Liberty will be open for the next two years , then closed again for `` work on a long-term solution that will improve safety and security permanently , '' according to the U.S. Department of the Interior . A gift from France to the United States , the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886 , designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for its centennial on July 4 , 1986 . It stands just across New York Harbor from where the Twin Towers stood .
The crown has been closed since the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . Tourists have been able to visit other parts of the statue . Access to the crown will be limited to 10 people at a time , guided by a ranger . Official : Government wants to give `` America a special gift '' by re-opening the crown .