Lady Liberty: the famous statue at the heart of an exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Trades.

The Museum of Arts and Crafts invites us into the secrets behind the construction of the Statue of Liberty, with the exhibition Lady Liberty, on view from September 22, 2026, to August 1, 2027.

It is customary to say you don’t ask a lady her age. Still, when she’s turning 140, you can certainly mark the occasion! This copper-and-iron lady takes center stage at the Musée des Arts et Métiers. Come discover the Statue of Liberty and the backstage of its fabrication from September 22, 2026 to August 1, 2027.

The exhibition Lady Liberté invites us into the workshops of Gaget, Gauthier & Compagnie, the builders of the statue that has become the emblem of the United States. Thanks to sculptor Bartholdi and the French artisans, engineers, and workers, this 46‑meter‑tall creation (93 meters with its pedestal) stands as one of the world’s best‑known French artworks.

The Museum of Arts and Crafts invites us on an immersive tour of its workshop spaces. With a pair of headphones on, visitors wander through recreated sets, encounter video projections and 3D devices, and enjoy sensory experiences that tell the story of this colossal construction site. You can even admire moulages and head models from the museum's collections... as well as a life-size copper index!

As you make your way along the route, you meet the people who created this statue, the techniques they employed, the technical hurdles they overcame, and the innovations imagined to bring this great lady to life. From the exterior molds to the inner workings of the statue, you can appreciate the immense craftsmanship of these visionaries, including a certain Gustave Eiffel...

The Museum of Arts and Crafts therefore offers us an exhibition as educational as it is entertaining, inviting us to meet these artisans and workers who roll up their sleeves to bring these artists’ dreams to life.

Want more? The musée d'Orsay is also staging an exhibition centered on Auguste Bartholdi and the Statue of Liberty.

Auguste Bartholdi: Liberty Enlightening the World — A New Exhibition on the Sculptor at the Musée d’Orsay
From September 15, 2026, to January 31, 2027, the Musée d'Orsay will showcase an exhibition dedicated to the Statue of Liberty and its creator, Auguste Bartholdi, a renowned 19th-century sculptor who collaborated with Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Gustave Eiffel. [Read more]