9/11 Memorial and Museum: where the Twin Towers stood
On the morning of 11 September 2001 two hijacked aircraft were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center, and both towers fell. The memorial stands on the ground they stood on.
- What it is
- Museum
- Time to allow
- 2 to 3 hours
- Cost
- Memorial free, ticket for the museum
- Best time
- Early in the day, before the plaza fills
New York this week
Why the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is worth it
The attacks of that day killed 2,977 people, here, at the Pentagon and in a field in Pennsylvania. The memorial is for them and for the six who died when the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. The architect Michael Arad won the competition for its design and worked on it with the landscape architect Peter Walker. It was dedicated on the tenth anniversary, 11 September 2011, and opened to the public the next day.
It is two square pools, each sunk into the outline of one tower, with water falling down all four sides and then again into a smaller square at the centre whose bottom you cannot see. The names of the dead are cut through bronze panels round the edges. Around the pools is a grove of swamp white oaks.
The museum opened in May 2014 and lies under the plaza, at the level of the towers' foundations. It tells the day hour by hour, with what was found afterwards: crushed fire engines, a staircase people escaped down, the last steel column taken from the site.
What to see
The two pools
Walk round both. The names are grouped by where people were and whom they were with: the crews and passengers of each flight, the firefighters of each company, colleagues side by side.
The Survivor Tree
A Callery pear found burnt and broken in the rubble, nursed back in a city nursery and replanted on the plaza. It is the tree with the supports, and it flowers first in spring.
The Survivors' Stairs
Inside the museum, the flight of outdoor steps down which hundreds of people fled the plaza that morning. It was the first object brought into the building.
The Last Column
The last piece of steel to leave Ground Zero, in May 2002, covered in the messages and photographs that recovery workers fixed to it. It stands in the great hall at the bottom of the museum.
How to do it well
- The memorial plaza is free and needs no ticket. The museum is ticketed and entry is at a set time: book ahead.
- Allow at least two hours for the museum. The historical exhibition at its centre is long and is not suited to young children.
- A white rose placed in a name on the pool marks that person's birthday. The staff put them there each morning.
- One World Observatory is in the tower beside the plaza and can be done on the same visit.
- It is a place of mourning for many of the people around you. Do not sit on the name panels.
Where it is
Address
180 Greenwich Street, at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan
Nearest station
World Trade Center (E), WTC Cortlandt (1), Cortlandt Street (R, W) or Fulton Street (2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z)
Tickets and tours: 9/11 Memorial and Museum
9/11 Memorial and Museum: common questions
- Is the 9/11 Memorial free?
- Yes. The memorial, the two pools and the plaza round them, is free and open to everyone. The museum beneath it needs a ticket for a set time.
- How long does the 9/11 Museum take?
- About two hours, and three if you read the historical exhibition closely. Add half an hour for the pools on the plaza.
- Is the 9/11 Museum suitable for children?
- The memorial is, at any age. The museum's main historical exhibition shows images and recordings of the day and is not recommended for young children. Parents of older children should use their own judgement.
- How much time do you need for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum?
- Allow 2 to 3 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.
What visitors say about the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
Rating from Google
Things to do near the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 14Look down on the harbour from One World Observatory150 m awayMonument, 1 to 1.5 hours, ticket
- 15Ride the Staten Island Ferry for nothing1.2 km awayOn the water, 1 to 1.3 hours, free
- 19Eat your way through Chinatown and Little Italy1.5 km awayWalk, 2 to 3 hours, free
- 7Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge1.5 km awayWalk, 1 to 2 hours, free
Artists to see near the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Whitney Museum of American Art, 3.1 km away
The Museum of Modern Art, 6.3 km away
Where to eat near the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in New York. Distances are in a straight line.
- Delmonico's4.5Grand restaurant, Financial District800 m away
- Fraunces Tavern4.5Tavern and museum, Financial District950 m away
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor4.2Dim sum parlour, Chinatown1.3 km away
- Ferrara Bakery & Cafe4.4Pastry shop and café, Little Italy1.6 km away
Hotels near the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in New York. Distances are in a straight line.
- Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown4.7Five-star hotel, Tribeca, by the World Trade Center350 m away
- The Wall Street Hotel4.8Five-star hotel, Wall Street800 m away
- The Greenwich Hotel4.7Five-star hotel, Tribeca1.0 km away
- Crosby Street Hotel4.6Five-star hotel, SoHo1.8 km away