Statue of Liberty's crown to reopen

NEW YORK, July 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior says the crown of the Statue of Liberty will officially reopen on the Fourth of July.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will be on hand Saturday to help open the 123-year-old monument in New York, the U.S. agency said in a news release Thursday.

National Parks of New York Harbor Commissioner Maria Burks said those unable to attend the grand reopening of the crown can take virtual tours of the Statue of Liberty online or gain event updates via Twitter.

"We are thrilled to be able to share this year's July 4 Independence Day celebrations at the Statue of Liberty. This year, we're using technology that keeps the public connected to this special event and communicating with each other in new and fun ways," Burks said. "In fact, you may even wonder if Lady Liberty is hiding a PDA or digital camera on top of her stone tablet."

CNN said the U.S. monument was closed down by the National Park Service following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Officials were concerned guests to Lady Liberty would be incapable of evacuating in time if an emergency situation took place, CNN reported.