The real story behind Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty and other American icons

Did you know that the original symbolism of the Statue of Liberty had nothing to do with welcoming immigrants? And that there was barely a mention of slavery surrounding the Lincoln Memorial when it first opened? And that Mount Rushmore was basically built as a way to get road-trippers to South Dakota? You’ll hear the inside stories on these American icons and many other attractions from Geoffrey Baer, host of the PBS series “10 That Changed America,” in this week’s AP Travel podcast “Get Outta Here!” Baer is back this summer with three new segments of his popular show, including one about monuments and memorials that changed America. Baer reveals little-known facts and origin stories as he chats with Associated Press Travel editor Beth Harpaz about these places, and how their symbolism has changed over time.

Did you know that the original symbolism of the Statue of Liberty had nothing to do with welcoming immigrants? And that there was barely a mention of slavery surrounding the Lincoln Memorial when it first opened? And that Mount Rushmore was basically built as a way to get road-trippers to South Dakota? You’ll hear the inside stories on these American icons and many other attractions from Geoffrey Baer, host of the PBS series “10 That Changed America,” in this week’s AP Travel podcast “Get Outta Here!” Baer is back this summer with three new segments of his popular show, including one about monuments and memorials that changed America. Baer reveals little-known facts and origin stories as he chats with Associated Press Travel editor Beth Harpaz about these places, and how their symbolism has changed over time.