9/11 Memorial is the most poignant part of Ground Zero, the area where once stood the twin towers, felled in the terrorist attack of 11 September.
Besides the 9/11 Memorial, Ground Zero also has the 9/11 Museum, Oculus, and One World Observatory.
While the 9/11 Museum is an attempt to keep the memory of 11 September alive, One World Observatory is a viewing platform in the nearby building called Freedom Tower.
Oculus is a shopping center close to the 9/11 Memorial and the Museum.
This article shares everything you must know before visiting the 9/11 Memorial.
Table of contents
What to expect at 9/11 Memorial
The 9/11 Memorial’s design, called Reflecting Absence, has two pools dug into the footprints of the Twin Towers.
These two huge waterfalls and reflecting Memorial Pools are enormous, reaching 4040 square meters (43500 square feet).
Names of about 3,000 victims of the terrorist attacks on 11 September and 26 February are inscribed on bronze panels lining the two Memorial pools.
The Memorial is located at the site of the former Twin Towers and is free to visit – visitors don’t need to buy any tickets.
The 9/11 Museum, which is right next to the Memorial Pools, is an attempt to keep the memory of 11 September alive. It documents the terrorist attack with 23,000 images, 10,300 artifacts, 500 hours of video, and 2,000 oral histories of the dead provided by family and friends. To enter, you need to buy 9/11 Museum tickets.
Where is 9/11 Memorial
The 9/11 Memorial is located at 180 Greenwich Street in lower Manhattan, at the One World Trade Center site. Get Directions
To enter the 9/11 Memorial, you can choose from entrances at one of these intersections –
1. Liberty Street and Greenwich Street
2. Liberty Street and West Street
3. West Street and Fulton Street
4. Fulton Street and Greenwich Street
9/11 Memorial’s hours
The 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero opens at 7.30 am and closes at 9 pm daily.
Some tourists prefer to visit the attraction in the evening to see the memorial light up after dark.
How long does the 9/11 Memorial take?
At the 9/11 Memorial, you can see everything there is to explore in 30 minutes.
However, some tourists walk around longer, contemplating the fateful day’s events.
If you want to locate the name of a friend or a relative who lost their life on 9/11, you may need more time. Find out where to look here.
If you plan to visit the 9/11 Museum to explore the various artifacts documenting the terrorist attack, you need two hours more and an entry ticket.
9/11 Memorial tickets
The 9/11 Memorial is free and open to the public seven days a week.
However, if you prefer a local New Yorker to take you on a tour of the 11 September Memorial, you must book a guided tour in advance.
Or, if you want to visit the other attractions at Ground Zero, such as the 9/11 Museum and One World Observatory, you need to buy tickets.
9/11 Memorial tickets with Museum entry
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum entry ticket is the cheapest way to explore the New York attraction.
Visitors can explore the National 9/11 Memorial and then enter the 9/11 Museum at their own pace.
While booking the ticket, you must opt for a time slot.
Ticket price
Adult ticket (18 to 64 years): $28
Kids ticket (7 to 12 years): $17
Youth ticket (13 to 17 years): $22
Senior ticket (65+ years): $22
Family Pass (4 Guests): $84
Two adults (18+) and up to two children (7-17)
Family Pass (5 Guests): $84
Two adults (18+) and up to three children (7-17)
Kids below six years can enter for free.
Guided tour of 9/11 Memorial
Even though slightly costlier, the guided tour of the 9/11 Memorial is the best way to explore and understand the National monument.
Considering the nature of this tourist attraction, a local New York guide can provide a personal feel to your tour.
You get a 90-minute guided walking tour of Ground Zero, including the 9/11 Memorial.
The ticket includes a skip-the-line entry to get to the 9/11 Museum as well, which you must explore on your own.
Ticket price
Adult ticket (13+ years): $69
Kids ticket (6 to 12 years): $59
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): Free entry
Guided tour of Memorial + One World Observatory
Some parents may not want to take their children under the age of ten to the 9/11 Museum since understanding the events of 11 September requires a certain level of maturity and understanding.
This tour is ideal for families traveling to New York with young children because it only visits Ground Zero, the Memorial, and the One World Observatory.
Ticket price
Adult ticket (13+ years): $69
Youth ticket (6 to 12 years): $59
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): Free entry
9/11 Memorial + 9/11 Museum + Observatory
We highly recommend this combo ticket if you are a group of adults or if your children are old enough to manage roughly five hours of exploration.
At the 9/11 Memorial, you pay your respects to the fallen heroes of the terrorist attack during the guided tour.
Then you can skip the lines and go straight to the 11 September Museum.
During the final leg of your visit to the complex, you will visit One World Observatory, the world’s highest observation deck.
Ticket price
Adult ticket (13+ years): $109
Kids ticket (6 to 12 years): $99
Infant ticket (up to 5 years): Free entry
What to see at 9/11 Memorial
There are a lot of things to see and experience in and around the 9/11 Memorial.
Once you are at the Memorial, you can use this map to navigate between the various things to see.
The twin pools and waterfalls
Two large pools with cascading waterfalls exist in the exact place where the North and South World Trade Center Tower stood before they were brought down on 11 September 2001.
Aptly titled ‘Reflecting Absence,’ these pools were designed by architect Michael Arad.
These are the largest human-made waterfalls in North America.
On the walls of these pools, one can find the names of those who died on 9/11.
Kiosks are available to find out a particular victim’s name, or you can also download the official Memorial app.
FDNY Memorial Wall
FDNY Memorial Wall is a tribute to the 343 active NYC firefighters who lost their lives on 11 September 2001.
Located on Greenwich Street at the corner of Liberty Street, this artwork by Joe Petrovics weighs 3200 Kg (7000 Pounds).
It is 17 meters (56 feet) long and depicts the Twin towers engulfed in flames and firefighters trying to keep the fire down.
The Sphere
German artist Fritz Koenig designed the sphere, which represents ‘world peace through world trade.’
The original spot of this sculpture was in a plaza between the two World Trade Center towers.
On the day of the Twin Tower attacks, this sculpture found itself right in the middle of all the devastation.
Since then, it has been recovered and restored, and today this piece of art stands as a memorial to the lives lost.
America’s Response Monument
Tourists often call this monument ‘Horse Soldier Statue.’
The official name of this monument located on the West end of Liberty Park is ‘America’s Response Monument.’
This monument celebrates Task Force Dagger of the Green Berets (US Army’s Special Forces), who were the first to enter Afghanistan to avenge the 9/11 attacks.
The Survivor Tree
On the day of the attack, from amongst the rubble of the Twin Towers, the responders pulled out one 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall Callery pear tree.
It was nursed back to health and re-planted in the Memorial Plaza and is today 30 feet in height.
This special tree is yet another story of survival and resilience and stands tall among the many swamp white oak trees at the 9/11 Memorial.
Zuccotti Park
Before 11 September 2001, this Park was called Liberty Plaza Park.
After the attacks, the Park came in handy for recovery efforts.
In recent times, Zuccotti Park has been the venue for many events commemorating the 9/11 incident.
In the northwest corner, visitors can spot a sculpture called ‘Double Check’, which survived the debris that fell when the two buildings collapsed – a metaphor for the survival spirit of the USA.
World Trade Center’s Cross
A few days after the Twin Towers went down, the emergency responders found a 5 meters (17 feet) tall intersecting beam which resembled a Christian cross.
Many of the recovery workers used this cross as a shrine and prayed and left notes.
Later, this metallic cross found a place at the National 11 September Museum.
As of today, a replica of the WTC’s Cross is installed at St. Peter’s Church.
Designed by Jon Krawczyk, its polish reflects the sky, the people, and the emerging 4 World Trade Center.
St. Paul’s Chapel
Even though St. Paul’s Chapel was located right across the street from the Twin Towers, nothing happened to the Church – not even a scratch on a window.
Many feel the Sycamore tree behind the religious place took the brunt of the falling Twin Towers and saved the Church.
For the rescue workers, St. Paul’s served as a praying spot and as a place to reflect on the events.
Sources
# 911memorial.org
# Wikipedia.org
# Wtc.com
# Newyorker.com
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