Christ the Redeemer - Facts for Kids

Basic Information & Location

Christ the Redeemer stands tall on Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, watching over the entire city like a friendly giant with open arms!

The statue of Christ the Redeemer is so big (38 m (125 ft)) tall that it’s the same height as a 13-story building — that’s taller than 10 school buses stacked on top of each other!

Christ the Redeemer was finished in 1931, which means this amazing statue has been watching over Rio de Janeiro for over 90 years!

The arms of Christ the Redeemer stretch 92 feet (28 meters) wide — that’s longer than a basketball court!

The statue of Christ the Redeemer weighs as much as 200 big elephants, coming in at about 635 tons — that’s heavier than anything you’ve ever seen!

Christ the Redeemer’s head alone weighs about 30 tons — that’s as heavy as three big school buses!

You need to climb 220 steps to reach Christ the Redeemer, but don’t worry — today there’s also an elevator and escalators to help visitors get to the top!

Christ the Redeemer became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012, making it officially one of the world’s most important places to protect and preserve!

Christ the Redeemer stands about 98 feet (30 meters) tall, not counting its 26-foot (8-meter) pedestal. Including the pedestal, the total height is 125 feet (38 meters).

To visit Christ the Redeemer, you can take a fun train ride through the Tijuca National Park, which is one of the world’s largest urban forests!

History & Construction

The idea to build Christ the Redeemer came from a group of people in 1921 — led by the Catholic Church — who wanted to celebrate 100 years of Brazil’s independence from Portugal!

The designer of Christ the Redeemer was a French sculptor named Paul Landowski, who worked with Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa to create this amazing monument!

It took nine years to build Christ the Redeemer — that’s longer than most kids have been in school!

Workers had to carry all the materials to build Christ the Redeemer up Corcovado Mountain by train — imagine carrying thousands of pieces up a giant hill!

The face of Christ the Redeemer was created by Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida, who spent months making sure every detail was perfect!

Christ the Redeemer is made from reinforced concrete and covered with thousands of tiny triangular soapstone tiles — like a giant mosaic puzzle!

The workers who built Christ the Redeemer wrote messages and signed their names on the inside of the statue — it’s like a giant time capsule!

The first ideas for Christ the Redeemer included holding a globe in one hand and a cross in the other, but they chose the open arms design to show that Rio welcomes everyone!

During construction, workers climbed on tall scaffolding — like a giant building ladder — so they could reach every part of Christ the Redeemer, painting and placing tiles at amazing heights!

The soapstone covering Christ the Redeemer came from a special quarry in Brazil and was chosen because it lasts a very long time in rainy weather!

Architecture & Design

Christ the Redeemer’s head is about 3.75 meters (12.3 feet) tall — almost as tall as a giraffe’s neck!

Christ the Redeemer is covered with around 6 million little triangular soapstone tiles, making it look smooth and bright in the sunlight!

Inside Christ the Redeemer, there are stairs and maintenance rooms that help workers keep the statue in good condition — like a secret house inside!

The style of Christ the Redeemer is called Art Deco, which was very popular in the 1920s and uses lots of geometric shapes!

Christ the Redeemer’s face is perfectly designed so that people can see its expression clearly from far below — like a giant friendly face in the sky!

Christ the Redeemer has a hidden chapel in its base where special ceremonies are held — it’s like having a tiny church inside a giant statue!

Christ the Redeemer’s arms are slightly higher than its shoulders to make it look more welcoming — like it’s giving the whole city a big hug!

Engineers used special lightning rods to protect Christ the Redeemer from lightning strikes — like giving the statue a special umbrella during storms!

Christ the Redeemer was built from the inside out, like building a giant puzzle starting from the middle!

Special Features & Modern Updates

Christ the Redeemer has special colored lights that can change its appearance during special events — like a giant nightlight for Rio!

In 2010, Christ the Redeemer got a special cleaning and restoration that cost 4 million dollars — that’s a lot of allowance money!

Christ the Redeemer has special lightning rods that get struck by lightning about 3 to 6 times every year — making quite a light show!

Christ the Redeemer appears on special Brazilian coins and stamps — like having your picture on millions of tiny pieces of art!

Christ the Redeemer has appeared in many movies and TV shows, making it one of the most famous monuments in the world!

Cultural Significance

Christ the Redeemer is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, chosen by millions of people from all around the globe!

Christ the Redeemer welcomes about 2 million visitors every year, making it one of the most visited landmarks in Brazil and across the globe!

During special celebrations, Christ the Redeemer wears different colored lights to show support for various causes — like wearing different colored shirts!

Fun Numbers & Records

Christ the Redeemer’s fingertips are 3.2 feet (1 meter) long — about the size of a young child!

Christ the Redeemer stands 2,300 feet (700 meters) above sea level — higher than many clouds!

Visitor Experience

The best time to visit Christ the Redeemer is early morning when the sun rises — it’s like watching the statue wake up with the city!

Christ the Redeemer sits on a mountain top that’s usually 3–5 °C cooler than the city below — like having a giant, breezy rooftop above Rio!

Recent History & Events

In 2014, Christ the Redeemer was lit up in different countries’ colors during the World Cup — like wearing the world’s biggest sports jersey!

Christ the Redeemer got special 3D scans in 2019 to help protect and preserve it — like getting a full-body picture at the doctor!