1

Her torch has been replaced

Image: Mateus Maia

Lady Liberty is no longer holding her original torch. The first one, made out of copper and covered in gold leaf, was replaced in 1986 due to extensive damage. The current torch sports a 24-karat gold flame, which gleams in the sunlight by day and is illuminated by torchlights at night.

2

What happened to the original torch?

Image: Epicgenius, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The original torch is on display in the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. It was removed on July 4, 1984, after leaks from rain and corrosion from the elements damaged it beyond repair. It was replaced in 1986 with the current replica and inaugurated by First Lady Nancy Reagan.

3

The view from the top

Image: Lowe, Jet, creator, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Visitors could originally climb up to a small observation deck inside the Statue of Liberty's torch. However, the structure was damaged in an explosion in 1916, and access to the torch has been closed ever since.

4

Lady Lighthouse

Image: Luke Stackpoole

From 1886 to 1902, the Statue of Liberty served as an official lighthouse, guiding ships and welcoming visitors into New York Harbor with 14 electric lamps housed inside the torch.

5

A gift from France

Image: Albert Fernique, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

To celebrate the centennial of American Independence and the friendship between the American and French nations, the people of France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States in 1886.

6

Gustave Eiffel

Image: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Gustave Eiffel, the very same engineer behind Paris' most famous tower, designed Lady Liberty's inner iron framework. His design allowed the statue to withstand the strong winds and harsh weather conditions in New York Harbor. The entire puddled iron structure was replaced by corrosion-resistant stainless steel in 1986.

7

She wasn't always green

Image: Maarten van den Heuvel

Lady Liberty's outer shell is made out of copper. It originally had a shiny brown color, but exposure to the elements over time caused the copper to oxidize, giving the statue the famous green patina it is known for.

8

The New Colossus

Image: Gautam Krishnan

Emma Lazarus, the famous American author and poet, was inspired by the Statue of Liberty to write a poem titled The New Colossus . Lines from the sonnet are now inscribed on a bronze plaque on the statue's pedestal.

9

A challenging trek

Image: Zoshua Colah

Visitors to the Statue of Liberty's famous crown observation deck must do so by climbing 354 narrow steps. The view from the top, however, sure is worth it!

10

Visitors from the Seven Seas

Image: Laurenz Heymann

Lady Liberty's crown has seven rays or spikes. The number was chosen to mirror the Seven Seas of ancient literature, as well as the seven continents of the world, meaning Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Through this symbol, the Statue of Liberty extends her message of freedom across the globe.

11

Her left hand

Image: Ron Cogswell from Arlington, Virginia, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Besides the torch in her right hand, Lady Liberty is holding a tablet in her left hand. The tablet reads JULY IV MDCCLXXVI . In Roman numerals, that is July 4, 1776, the date of the American Declaration of Independence.

12

Broken chains

Image: Atsme, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Statue of Liberty stands 305 feet from the ground to the tip of her torch, making her one of the tallest statues in the world. At her feet lie broken shackles and chains, symbolizing the abolition of slavery, oppression, and tyranny.

1

Teddy bear

Image: Oxana Lyashenko

We’ll start with the surprising origins of a global icon. While there is some debate as to the country of origin of the teddy bear, there’s absolutely no doubt as to where the furry companions of our childhood got their names. And, considering that the source of the teddy bear’s name comes from the highest office in the United States government , we think we can safely state that this toy is truly an American icon.

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt was invited on a hunting trip to Mississippi, on which his group cornered and tied a black bear to a tree for the president to shoot. Displeased by what he thought was unsportsmanlike behavior, the President refused and the bear was freed. This story was published in many national newspapers, and it quickly became extremely popular. So much so, that a Brooklyn businessman designed a small, cuddly bear and advertised it on his shop as "Teddy’s bear" . And just with that, our 26th President unwillingly named this quintessential toy.

2

Super Soaker

Image: Steward Masweneng

If you were a kid during the 80s or 90s, you probably played with the extremely refreshing Super Soaker on a hot summer day. This reimagined water gun featured an innovative design that added pressurized air for longer and stronger water bursts. Showcasing a futuristic design, the Super Soaker felt like shooting a sci-fi laser gun, which seems only reasonable considering it was created by a former NASA engineer.

In 1982, engineer Lonnie Johnson, who specialized in aerospace design, came across the idea of the Super Soaker while conducting an experiment in his house. Johnson’s prototype combined household items like a PVC pipe and a two-liter soda bottle. While rudimentary, this first design successfully shot powerful streams of water. The rest is history: Johnson was able to mass-produce his design, and the Super Soaker became the summer toy for millions of American children.

3

Slinky

Image: Adam Valstar

Just like with the Super Soaker, the man behind this iconic toy was a successful American engineer. In 1943, while investigating a way to suspend sensitive equipment aboard ships, naval engineer Richard T. James accidentally dropped a torsion spring he was working with. James noticed the curious way in which the spring kept on moving after hitting the ground, and with that, the idea of one of the most beloved toys of the 20th century was born.

Richard and his wife Betty initially made 400 "Slinkys", which were first carried by a department store in Philadelphia for Christmas 1945. This first production was sold in less than 90 minutes , and the Slinky quickly proved to be an instant success. To this day, approximately 300 million Slinkies have been sold all over the world.

4

Rubik’s cube

Image: Olav Ahrens Røtne

Let’s deal with the elephant in the room first: No, the Rubik’s Cube is not an American invention. However, just like the rest of the world, this tricky puzzle took the United States by storm during the 70s and 80s, so it seemed only fair to add this beloved toy to this list. In the 1970s, Hungarian architecture professor Ernő Rubik designed the first prototype of the Rubik’s cube, as a way to create a system with parts that could move independently. However, he realized he had built a rather entertaining puzzle when he tried to restore the sides of his cube. Rubik applied for a patent in Hungary and started selling his "Magic Cube" by 1975.

By the 1980s, the Rubik’s Cube became a global sensation. It is reported that over 200 million cubes were sold between 1980 and 1983. In America, this puzzle immediately gained status as a cultural icon: In 1981, the Museum of Modern Art in New York exhibited a Rubik’s cube, while the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee featured a six-foot version of the toy.

5

G.I. Joe

Image: Justin Wilkens

In 1963, Manhattan inventor and licensing agent Stanley Weston came up with the idea of a military action figure . Perhaps unbeknownst to him, Weston’s prototypes would soon inspire G.I. Joe, the first toy to teach American children about how every U.S. soldier can be a superhero to treasure and admire.

Produced by Hasbro, the G.I. Joe series encompasses countless action figures throughout their almost 60 years of history. Most of the toys feature the titular "G.I. Joe Team", a league of military heroes that defends the world from the evil deeds conducted by the "Cobra" organization.

6

Frisbee

Image: Patrick Reynolds

If any kid playing around with a cool stick they found lying can teach you anything, it doesn’t take much to make a fun toy that children will enjoy. Case in point: In 1937, Walter Frederick Morrison and his future wife Lucille realized how fun it was to toss a popcorn can lid back and forth. After WW2, Morrison worked on several designs until, in 1955, he designed "the Pluto Platter" , the very first version of what we now know as the Frisbee.

The story behind the name of this iconic toy is rather interesting. Wham-O, the company behind the commercialization of the Pluto Platter, realized that Yale University students were calling their product by another name. Since the plastic discs resembled empty pie tins , they called them "Frisbies" after the Frisbie Pie Company, a pie supplier for the university.

7

Barbie

Image: Elena Mishlanova

Barbie truly needs no introduction : She’s definitely the world's most famous doll, selling over six billion units in its 60-year history. She has been featured in a myriad of TV shows and movies, including an Academy Award-winning live-action film in 2023. With such a prolific and wondrous career, it’s easy to forget how Barbie's story started: With an innovator watching her daughter play.

One evening in the 1950s, businesswoman Ruth Handler noticed that, whenever her daughter played with paper dolls, she enjoyed pretending they were adults. At the time, most dolls depicted infants and babies, so Handler created the prototype of an adult-bodied doll, which she named "Barbie" after her daughter Barbara. On March 9, 1959 (a date which is now Barbie’s official birthday), the very first Barbie doll was presented at the American International Toy Fair in New York City.

8

Hula hoop

Image: Patricia Prudente

The hula-hoop is definitively the oldest toy on this list: Archaeologists believe that children and adults played with hoops of some kind since at least 500 BC. However, in 1958, a plastic hoop launched by American toy company Wham-O became insanely popular, and with that, the hula-hoop mania was born.

Named after its resemblance to the hip movements of the traditional Hula dance, the hula-hoop is still a remarkably popular toy . Not only that, hooping is considered an excellent and fun exercise, promoted as an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health.

9

View-master

Image: Girl with red hat

Just like the Slinky, the View-Master wasn’t originally conceived as a kid’s toy. And, to be perfectly honest, at its core it is truly an entertainment experience for all ages: An innovative and fresh way of enjoying beautiful images and scenery. However, it wouldn’t be right not to include this wonderful device in this list, since it has touched the hearts of thousands of American children since 1939.

Created by pharmacist Edwin Mayer in Portland, Oregon, the View-Master was introduced at the 1939 New York World's Fair. While its original intent was to provide an alternative to postcards, over time it included cartoons and short stories aimed at children. Famously, the View-Master’s most popular reels featured Disney and Hannah Barbera characters.

10

Legos

Image: Xavi Cabrera

We’ll end this list with an absolute classic . With over 75 years of history and no sign of slowing down, Legos have truly shaped the lives of millions of children around the world. The true beauty of these colorful bricks is that they are only limited by children’s imagination which, we are sure you’ll agree, is definitively limitless. In the right hand, a single plastic brick can be the start of a giant dinosaur, a spaceship, or a bell tower.

The humble beginnings of Lego come from the town of Billund, Denmark, where a carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen started making wooden toys in 1932. Christiansen named his company "Lego" after the Danish phrase leg godt , which translates to "play well". By the end of the 1940s, the company was already producing an early version of its iconic interlocking bricks, now considered a completely ubiquitous cultural icon.

1

Cypress Gardens (Winter Haven, Florida)

Long before the Disney parks arrived in Florida, another attraction was the most popular, drawing visitors from across the country.

It was Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida, which opened in 1936 as a botanical garden showcasing the state’s natural beauty. Over time, it became even better known for its water ski shows, something many Americans still remember from family trips in the 60s and 70s. But by the late 70s, things began to shift. The rise of the Disney parks changed tourism expectations, and Cypress Gardens slowly lost its spotlight, ultimately closing in September 2009. But it's not all bad news; parts of the original gardens still survive today, preserved inside LEGOLAND Florida.

2

New York State Pavilion (New York)

At the 1964 New York World’s Fair in Queens, the United States unveiled a brave vision of the future: the New York State Pavilion.

With its "Tent of Tomorrow," three towering observation structures, and a giant map of New York on the ground, it drew crowds throughout 1964 with exhibitions, shows, and concerts. But when the fair closed in 1965, the future it represented started to fade. Without a long-term plan or funding, the pavilion declined, and by 1974**,** it was permanently closed due to structural issues. Today, its rusted towers still stand over Queens, NYC, alongside the empty concrete frame. However, restoration efforts have recently begun, hinting at a possible second life for this future that never was.

3

Six Flags New Orleans (New Orleans, Louisiana)

In the early 2000s, it was one of the most popular amusement parks in the region, but soon after, it was left underwater and abandoned.

We’re talking about Six Flags New Orleans, which opened in May 2000 as Jazzland Theme Park. In 2002, Six Flags took over, rebranding it and improving its roller coasters, rides, and water attractions. Its downfall wasn’t due to lack of visitors or investment; it was something far more powerful: in 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded the park , causing irreversible damage, so it never reopened. Today, it still stands abandoned, with rusting rides and empty streets that are now a reminder of the storm. But it still gets some use: today, the now-haunting site has been transformed into a frequent filming location for movies, including Jurassic World (2015) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014).

4

Palisades Amusement Park (Bergen County, New Jersey)

For decades, especially between 1950 and 1970, it was a classic summer destination for families, but today, it’s completely gone.

Palisades Amusement Park opened in 1898 on the cliffs of the Hudson River in New Jersey. And what began as a trolley stop became one of America’s most famous amusement parks, known for its roller coasters, neon lights, and a massive saltwater pool once called "the largest in the world." However, by the 1960s, overcrowding, rising costs, and local pressure pushed it into decline, and it closed permanently on September 12, 1971. Today, high-rise apartments stand where the rides once were.

5

Disney's River Country (Lake Buena Vista, Florida)

Have you heard about Disney’s abandoned park? Disney's River Country opened in 1976 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, inspired by the vibes of classic American summer vacations. It had a rustic atmosphere, with wooden slides, rope swings, and water drawn directly from the nearby lake. It was a total success in the 1980s, but by the late 1990s, things began to change.

Newer water parks with advanced systems and stricter safety standards made River Country feel outdated, and Disney gradually shifted its attention elsewhere. The park closed "temporarily" in 2001, but it never reopened. Today, it still sits in the same place, partially reclaimed by nature, quietly overshadowed by the modern resorts around it.

6

Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel (Liberty, New York)

What was once one of the most popular family resorts in the country is now an extensive, decaying space with peeling wallpaper and collapsing floors.

Grossinger’s Resort Hotel began in the 1910s as a small guesthouse in the Catskill Mountains of Liberty, New York. What started modestly soon grew into one of the region’s most famous destinations, reaching its peak in the 1950s and 1960s with a golf course and both indoor and outdoor pools. It was incredibly popular with urban and suburban families in the tri-state area, and it even inspired the fictional "Kellerman's Mountain Resort" from Dirty Dancing (1987).

But in the late 1960s, American vacation habits began to change. Air travel and cruise vacations attracted families, and younger generations no longer returned to the places their parents had once loved. The resort gradually declined, leading to its permanent closure in 1986.

7

Dogpatch USA (Marble Falls, Arkansas)

Dogpatch USA opened in the Ozarks of Marble Falls, Arkansas, in 1968, taking its name from the fictional town in the popular comic strip Li’l Abner by Al Capp.

Rustic buildings, rides, fishing ponds, and a small amusement area brought the comic world to life. It first attracted curiosity from local visitors, but never reached the popularity its creators had hoped for. Almost from the start, it struggled, in part due to its remote Ozarks location, which made it difficult for most tourists to reach, and its operating costs that surpassed attendance. Over time, the park gradually declined, changing ownership and shrinking in activity, before finally disappearing in the mid-1980s.

8

Ghost Town in the Sky (Maggie Valley, North Carolina)

A Wild West–themed amusement park sitting above the clouds in the Smoky Mountains sounds too good to be true, right? But it was real.

Ghost Town in the Sky opened on May 1, 1961, in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, at the top of Buck Mountain. Visitors rode a chairlift up to a full Old West town with saloons, staged gunfights, and mountain views. For its first two decades, it attracted steady crowds, but by the 1990s, it began to shrink. Rising maintenance costs, difficult access, and unstable ownership pushed it into decline. By the 2000s, the aging infrastructure became unreliable, leading to its first closure in 2002 and final closure in 2009. Today, the park still sits abandoned on the mountain.

9

Geauga Lake (Aurora, Ohio)

In the early 20th century, many Midwestern families had a go-to summer destination: Geauga Lake Park.

Geauga Lake opened in 1887 in Aurora, Ohio, as a simple lakeside resort. By the 1920s, it had grown into a full amusement park with rides, games, and roller coasters –like its classic wooden coaster, the Big Dipper– attracting thousands of visitors each year. Throughout much of the 20th century, it was a must-stop on family road trips. It reached its peak in the 1990s, after major expansions turned it into a large regional attraction, but those same upgrades also drove up costs and complexity. In the end, the expansion that improved it also sealed its fate, leading to its final closure in 2007.

10

Heritage USA (Fort Mill, South Carolina)

Sometimes called "Christian Disneyland," Heritage USA opened in 1978 in Fort Mill, South Carolina, founded by famous televangelists Jim and Tammy Bakker with the idea of building a major Christian-themed resort to rival the big amusement parks.

For a time, it was hugely popular, at one point even ranking as the third most-visited theme park in the U.S., with rides, a water park, hotels, and a large church auditorium. But in 1987, a financial scandal involving Jim Bakker shook public trust, and in 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused further damage. By the end of 1989, the park had effectively shut down, leaving its once-famous 21-story hotel as a hollow reminder of what it had been.