Editing Vulcan statue (section)

===1999–2004 restoration===
[[File:Vulcan statue.jpg|thumb|''Vulcan'' on its restored pedestal with new elevator tower]]

''Vulcan'' was removed during October and November 1999 in preparations for a $14&nbsp;million renovation process that saw the park and pedestal restored to its original 1938 appearance. The statue sat in Vulcan Park's parking lot until the fall of 2001, when it was shipped to Robinson Iron to be repaired. The statue itself was thoroughly inspected and repaired, with some parts, including the lost spear point, re-cast. The new and restored pieces were thoroughly coated with a durable paint system, including a light-gray finish coat dubbed "Vulcan Gray" by the specifier.

Meanwhile, in 2002, the 1971 park additions were demolished, and scaffolding went up around ''Vulcan''{{'}}s tower. Workmen cleaned and repaired the original tower. ''Vulcan''{{'}}s head and right arm went on display at the [[Birmingham Museum of Art]] while the tower was prepared.

''Vulcan'' was re-erected on a steel armature atop his tower during June 2003, restored to its original appearance as intended by Moretti, reoriented to the east. Television stations WVTM and WBRC both provided live [[webcam]]s of the reinstallation.

Shortly after the statue was reinstalled, the scaffolding came down, and a new observation deck, providing panoramic views of the area, was installed. The museum at the base was rebuilt and a new elevator was installed, but oriented so it would not be easily seen from downtown Birmingham. The original waterfalls were not rebuilt, though the stone walkways leading from the parking lot directly to ''Vulcan''{{'}}s tower were restored. The statue and park were officially reopened in 2004, celebrating Vulcan's 100th birthday.  In 2004, Vulcan Park welcomed more than 100,000 visitors who took in the statue's views of downtown Birmingham.

The restoration project received a National Preservation Honor Award from the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite press release | title =National Trust Presents National Preservation Honor Award to Vulcan Park in Birmingham, Alabama | publisher =National Trust for Historic Preservation | date =2006-11-02 | url =http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/case-studies/preservation-award-winners/vulcan-park.html | access-date =2009-02-04}}</ref>