If the Statue of Liberty could turn her big, green head and look into her backyard, she would see workers hauling in glass, concrete, and granite. If she could hear, the sounds of beeping construction equipment would fill her huge, copper ears. If her nose worked, she would smell the wildflowers workers plant. Too bad the statue can’t really see, hear, or smell. She will be missing quite a show as workers build a brand-new museum in her honor!

This October, officials showed the public new plans for New York City’s Statue of Liberty Museum. They plan to finish work on the museum in 2019. The new museum will fill a need. Right now, the Statue of Liberty’s old museum hides in the statue’s pedestal. Only 20 percent of visitors get to go inside it. But the new museum will be three times as big as the old one. Inside, visitors will see a mural of 50 star sculptures. In the next rooms, they will get a video-tour of the statue’s inside. They will also hear the statue’s story: Where did it come from? How was it built? What does it mean? Finally, they will get to see the statue’s original torch.

The museum’s roof will be made of grass and planted with wildflowers. It will be so grassy that the museum will seem to have grown right out of the ground! Visitors will be able to stand on the roof. From there, they will see the statue and the Manhattan skyline. Designers had a good reason for making the building blend into the ground. The small island doesn’t need another big, ornate building. The Statue of Liberty is already grand enough!