National September 11 Memorial & Museum
Photo: 9/11 Memorial and Museum — CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Located at the World Trade Center site, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum honors the nearly 3,000 victims of the 2001 and 1993 attacks through exhibitions, artifacts, and educational programs.
Planning your visit
The memorial occupies the footprints of the twin towers — two square voids with water falling into them and disappearing into a further void at the centre, ringed by the names of the 2,983 people killed in 2001 and 1993. The names are arranged by association rather than alphabetically, so colleagues and those who died together are grouped.
The museum is beneath, descending to bedrock. The slurry wall that held back the Hudson stands exposed. The Last Column, covered in tributes, remains where it stood. Twisted steel from the impact floors, a crushed fire truck, and personal effects fill the historical exhibition, which covers the day hour by hour using recordings, voicemails and testimony.
It is emotionally severe, and the In Memoriam gallery with photographs of every victim is where most visitors find it hardest.
Timed entry is required and it sells out. Allow three hours. Bookable options include Ground Zero tours with skip-the-line museum entry. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is National September 11 Memorial & Museum?
National September 11 Memorial & Museum is in New York City, United States. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for National September 11 Memorial & Museum?
Allow three hours. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book National September 11 Memorial & Museum in advance?
Skip-the-line entry is worth booking ahead here: the saving is the queue, which is exactly what sells out.
