We immediately associate it with New York, yet the story of the Statue of Liberty begins several thousand kilometers from Manhattan. Lady Liberty was designed and built in France, notably in the Parisian workshops of Gaget, Gauthier & Compagnie. Starting September 22, 2026, the Musée des Arts et Métiers will revisit this industrial adventure with “Lady Liberté.” Hard work, daring, and genius—a new immersive exhibition on view through August 1, 2027.
The exhibition coincides with a symbolic date: 2026 marks both the 140th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York and the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. But rather than focusing solely on Bartholdi and the monument’s political symbolism, the exhibition focuses primarily on those who actually built it: artisans, laborers, engineers, and technicians who worked on a construction site of unprecedented scale for the time.
To enhance the immersive experience, the museum has chosen to reconstruct a section of the now-defunct Gaget workshops to scale, drawing on blueprints, period photographs, and archival materials. 3D models also help visitors understand the layout of these vast workspaces.
Equipped with headphones, visitors follow the various stages of construction: the enlargement of the plaster models, the creation of the first wooden templates, and the hammering of the large copper sheets. Workshop sounds, sets, video projections, and sensory installations aim to recreate the atmosphere of the Parisian construction site in the late 19th century.
Location: Musée des Arts et Métiers, 60 rue Réaumur, 75003 Paris
Hours: September 22, 2026, through August 1, 2027, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., late-night hours on Fridays until 9:00 p.m.; closed on Mondays