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Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends related to amusement parks and whether they are true or false.

AMUSEMENT PARK URBAN LEGEND: The Liberty Bell in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom is from a series of 50 replicas made of the Liberty Bell for the Bi-Centennial.

In Liberty Square in the Magic Kindom, there is a replica of the Liberty Bell…

Here’s how the story goes:

In 1976, 50 replicas were cast and molded in honor of our country’s 200th birthday. Each state would receive one and place it in a spot of their choice. However, the state of Pennsylvania had a problem. They already had the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Why would they want a replica? Years later, Walt Disney World realized Pennsylvania had the replica and asked if they could have it for Liberty Square. Pennsylvania agreed and on July 4th, 1989 the replica Liberty Bell was hoisted and lowered into its permanent spot inside Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom where it still sits today. Florida remains the only state with two of the 50 replica Liberty Bells.

Is that true?

That is not the case. There WERE 50 replicas made, but it was not in 1976, it was in 1950, oddly enough.

The Pennsylvania replica is in Allentown at the Liberty Bell Shrine in Zion Reformed Church. The Liberty Bell Museum has a list here of where all the replicas are nowadays.

The Disney Liberty Bell was specially cast for Disney in 1989, when the Bell was installed in Liberty Square. Heck, it says as much on the plaque on the Bell at Liberty Square…

The legend is…

STATUS: False

Thanks to the Liberty Bell Museum for the replica information!

Feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future installments! My e-mail address is bcronin@legendsrevealed.com.