Sad news for visitors to New York: Just as they were returning after a major refurbishment, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will remain closed through at least the rest of the year, according to the New York Post.
The National Park Service announced Wednesday that facilities and infrastructure on both islands, which together make up the Statue of Liberty National Monument, suffered damage in Hurricane Sandy.
On the bright side, the Statue of Liberty itself, the pedestal, and the base were unharmed—but the storm chewed up a brick walkway, railings, and docks on Liberty Island, the story continued.
On Ellis Island, which is home to a notable museum on the history of immigration to the United States, the storm damaged exhibits, displaced some fuel oil tanks, beached a U.S. Park Police boat, damaged and uprooted a police trailer, flooded machinery in the basements of the historic hospital and administration buildings, and littered the area with debris.
The National Park Service said that crews were already making repairs to both islands, but that no reopening date had been announced yet.