Apple CEO Tim Cook this afternoon encouraged his Twitter followers to check out the new Statue of Liberty augmented reality app for iOS, which was conceptualized by Diane von Fürstenberg to celebrate the launch of the Statue of Liberty Museum this Thursday.

According to the Vogue article on the app, it was created by the Statue of Liberty Foundation and Yap Studios. Its creation took more than a year of scanning and photography, and it offers up a time-lapse view from the statue's eyes, a look inside of it, and a time-lapse of how the color changed over time.

statueofliberty1 1
The main feature, though, is several 3D models of the Statue of Liberty that can be projected into your own home. There's a full-size model plus close-ups of the torch and the Statue's foot.


The app is designed to help visitors to the museum and those who are viewing from home understand the construction and the detail of the Statue of Liberty, thanks to augmented reality. Apple was one of the donors of the project after Diane von Fürstenberg connected ‌Tim Cook‌ and the Statue of Liberty Foundation.

statueofliberty2

"I met Tim Cook from Apple, and discovered first of all that he had never been to Liberty Island, so I arranged for him to go," DvF revealed. "Not even knowing what I was talking about, I said, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful to give people an Apple experience when they go on the Island?' I met the people who do apps and we started, not knowing where it would all end up. The foundation created this app that will reach hundreds of millions of people. It will be the biggest opening of a museum ever!"

Apple execs, including ‌Tim Cook‌, have continually touted the capabilities of augmented reality and its potential to change the world, and the Statue of Liberty app is one example that could inspire other museums and historical sites to take on similar projects.

"Augmented reality really lets you place literal objects and experience into the real world around you," DvF said. "It allows you to learn about the statue and the experience. You can place the Statue of Liberty in a class room or a living room; it's available in the Apple store in 155 countries, and with one billion devices in peoples' hands, our museum experience goes from New York to the globe!"

There's also a new "Raising the Torch" podcast, and von Fürstenberg says that a documentary about the Statue of Liberty will be released later this year. The podcast will feature different historians discussing the Statue's historical context and past.

The Statue of Liberty app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Doctor Q Avatar
83 months ago
If you want a scientific explanation of Liberty's color changes over time, from her original reddish copper color (like a U.S. penny) to dull brown then to blue-green, check out this video about the chemistry involved ('//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZSLrXtg1-o'), with information from the American Chemical Society.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flyinmac Avatar
83 months ago
Pretty cool idea. Sounds like an interesting way to view the statue for those who would otherwise never be able to go see it in person.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Simmias Avatar
83 months ago
What does AR contribute to the experience? Why not just shown a 3D model of the statue onscreen in its actual environment instead of placing it in your living room at the wrong scale? Apple has still yet to show that AR has any value on smartphones.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Defthand Avatar
83 months ago
Why not just show a 3D model of the statue onscreen in its actual environment instead of placing it in your living room at the wrong scale?
My thought too. Somehow, Lady Liberty doesn't look majestic next to empty liquor bottles and Skittles wrappers.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
83 months ago
App looks really cool. When I was younger and times were easier, my parents took me to the Statue of Liberty quite a few times.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Taipan Avatar
83 months ago
What does AR contribute to the experience? Why not just shown a 3D model of the statue onscreen in its actual environment instead of placing it in your living room at the wrong scale? Apple has still yet to show that AR has any value on smartphones.
My thoughts exactly. Just like most of the AR presentations during Apple‘s keynotes. A shooting game gains nothing from taking place on your table. If anything, it takes away from the realism.
And the „use“ of this AR function in the featured app ends after „Hey look, I have the Statue of Liberty in my living room“.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1

Monday September 22, 2025 10:05 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The new betas are the first updates to the iOS, iPadOS, macOS 26, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS releases that came out last week. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going...