Statue of Liberty Reopens 4th of July After Hurricane Sandy; Ellis Island Remains Closed to Public (PHOTOS)

The Statue of Liberty fittingly reopened on the Fourth of July for the first time since the wreckage from Hurricane Sandy.

People gathered at Battery Park in Manhattan to make the trip to the national monument. According to Fox News, Rodney and Judy Long, of Charlotte, N.C., were the first people in line for the boat called Lady Liberty.

The were unable to get tickets into the statue, but were happy the site was back in business.

"It's perfect timing for it to reopen. It's really a symbol for what the country is all about," Rodney told Fox News.

Fox News reports repairs included fixing broken railings, docks and paving stones that were torn up. Buildings were flooded after Sandy, destroying electrical systems, sewage pumps and boilers.

"Hundreds of National Park Service workers from as far away as California and Alaska spent weeks cleaning mud and debris," according to Fox News.

Repairs to brick walkways and docks are ongoing but enough of the repairs to the 12 acres of the national landmark were completed, allowing them to reopen. Some parts remain blocked off, and the main ferry dock is boarded up, Fox News reports.

Vistors were in awe of the reconstruction to the landmark.

"It's stunning, it's beautiful," said Elizabeth Bertero, of California's Sonoma County. "They did a great job rebuilding. You don't really notice that anything happened."

"Visitors went through security on lower Manhattan after city officials criticized an earlier plan to screen them at neighboring Ellis Island, which endured far worse damage to its infrastructure and won't be open to the public anytime soon," Fox News reports.

Ellis Island and Liberty Island had a combined $59 million in damages from hurricane aftermath.

Heather and Chris Leykam visited Liberty Island traveling from Brooklyn with their three kids: Avril, 7, Delilah, 5, and Finn, 1. The family wanted to celebrate Delilah turning 6 years old on Thursday at the Statue of Liberty.

"This to us, Liberty Island, is really about a rebirth," Heather Leykam, whose mother's home in Breezy Point was destroyed during Sandy, told Fox News. "It is a sense of renewal for the city and the country."

For photos of the reopening event, click here.

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