Wasn’t there a giant golden version of the Statue of the Republic that burned down?
Posted on Sep 15, 2025 / Travel
Yep — the original colossal statue from 1893 was temporary (plaster covered with gold leaf and lighting) and it didn’t survive long after the fair; it was eventually destroyed. That dramatic “big golden lady” was a showstopper during the Exposition, but it wasn’t built to last. The replica you see now is smaller and bronze, erected as a permanent reminder of the fair and dedicated years later. So when people tell the story about the statue “dying in a fire” or vanishing, that’s the rough truth — the original was impermanent and gone within a few years. The current one is the one you can visit without worrying it’ll melt away.
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