Consisting of an 8-acre park that features two reflecting pools set in the footprints of the Twin Towers as well as an underground museum, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has become the most notable memorial in New York City. Memorializing one of the most formative events in the history of the United States, the landmark allows audiences to explore, experience and commemorate 9/11’s impact on the city and country in a personal manner.
A Memorial in the Footprints of the Twin Towers
On September 11th 2001, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States resulted in the destruction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, forever changing the landscape of the city and country. After the city recovered, a competition was held to design an appropriate memorial on the site. While the landmark serves many purposes, the prime focus is the memorialization of the 2,977 people who were killed in the attack, as well as those killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It was opened on September 11th, 2011.
The design of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum consists of a pair of reflecting pools that reside in the footprints of the former towers, each surrounded by the victims’ names. The plaza also contains the entrance to the 9/11 museum, which contains artifacts, imagery, personal stories, and interactive technology that is directly and indirectly connected to the event.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum were designed to invite visitors to learn about the history of the 9/11 attacks and 1993 World Trade Center bombing at the site where the Twin Towers once stood. The landmark combines architecture, archaeology, and history to allow visitors to understand the event and connect with the people who experienced it. These experiences are further refined by how audiences in the present can engage with the space and everything that it memorializes and represents.
Experiences, Events and Donations
The names of every person who perished in the terror attacks of February 26, 1993 & September 11, 2001 are honored with their names listed in bronze around the twin Memorial pools. These pools symbolize the loss of life and the physical void left by the attacks. Across the plaza, more than 400 white oak trees fill the area. These trees and greenery are set amidst seating and other empty spaces that allow audiences to quietly reflect on the memorial. Visitors can use a database to find a name on the memorial. As an additional means of connection, 9/11 victims who served in the United States military are honored on Veterans’ Day by placing yellow roses in their names.
Events take place on a regular basis at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, with numerous commemorations taking place across the year. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum also hosts a variety of programs that explore the attacks and their ongoing repercussions.
The Memorial and Museum is operated by a non-profit institution whose mission is to raise funds for, program, and operate the memorial and museum at the World Trade Center site. Tickets are offered at a variety of levels, while anyone can make a donation to these efforts. As an additional means of revenue, the museum store contains numerous items for purchase.
With so many different ways to engage with the site, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has become a top feature of tours, maps and guides to New York City, creating a landmark that is as essential as it is engaging for the present and future of the region and nation.
More Than a Memorial
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is more than either of these things, as it documents the impact of the event while also examining its’ continuing significance. That it also serves as a powerful remembrance of those who lost their lives in both form and function showcases what it can mean for a memorial to become something so much more. It allows audiences in the present to connect with the past while also enabling experiences for the future.
