Repairs include upgraded restrooms, along with improved fire suppression systems and elevators.
The project is expected to take a year. During that time, Liberty Island will remain open, and views of the statue will be largely unobstructed.
Tegan Firth, a spokeswoman for Statue Cruises, which on an average Saturday during the summer ferries about 18,000 people to Liberty Island, said the renovation won't have a significant impact on visitation.
"The entire experience of visiting these national landmarks of the United States remains absolutely the same," she said.
The statue, a gift from France, was built in the 1880s.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
