The torch of the Statue of Liberty has been closed to the public since 1916, when German saboteurs blew up a munitions depot nearby and shrapnel tore into the statue's arm — in the 110 years since, no

Key Points:

• The Statue of Liberty's torch balcony has been closed to the public since 1916 due to damage sustained during the Black Tom explosion, a sabotage attack by German agents before the U.S. entered World War I.
• The Black Tom explosion, occurring on July 30, 1916, targeted a munitions depot in Jersey City supplying the Allies, causing one of the largest man-made explosions at the time and significant damage to the statue's raised torch arm.
• Despite extensive damage and ongoing restorations of the statue, the torch balcony has remained inaccessible, with only National Park Service staff permitted to access it for maintenance purposes.
• Germany was officially held responsible for the sabotage in 1939 and paid reparations totaling $50 million by 1979, but the Black Tom site has since been absorbed into Liberty State Park with minimal public recognition.
• The closure of the torch balcony serves as a lasting, visible reminder of the attack and its impact on U.S. espionage laws and intelligence development, marking a century-long absence of public access to the statue’s summit.