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My Takeaways From the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

November 4, 2021 /
9/11 Memorial And Museum

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a remarkable museum both in its design and how well it conveys its message. The memorials outside strike the perfect balance of art and serenity while the museum presents the artifacts from that fateful day in a way that is unbiased and impactful. If you are in New York City for any length of time you have to visit this historic site.

If you’re like me, you might think you don’t need to see the museum if you lived through the day itself. I’m glad my wife convinced me otherwise. It’s something I think everyone should visit at least once to put the whole event into the proper perspective.

Updated January 2024

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Summary of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

HoursWednesday – Monday from 9:00 – 7:00
Length of Visit2-3 hours
Cost$33 for adults
HighlightsMemorial pools, Survivors’ Stairs, Ladder Company 3 Truck,
The Last Column, In Memoriam, Historical Exhibition

But First, A Little History About 9/11

There are few singular events that can lay claim to changing the course of history. Some of these events are cause for celebration, others are more tragic. 9/11 is one of those latter events owing to the actions of just 19 radical Islamist terrorists.

For those of us old enough to remember, the events of that day still feel so immediate. Personally, I vividly remember watching everything unfold in my 9th grade health class. Someone came to the door to say something happened and that my teacher should turn on the TV. As only 13-year-old kids, we watched as the second plane struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. These are things you can’t forget.

Then, as events slowly unfolded over the coming days it became clear that this was going to change everything. Passions were high and fear of what would come next was prevalent. Travel changed forever with the implementation of new security precautions. Now, 20 years later, it’s hard not to look at 9/11 as one of the reasons for our increasing political divisions.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum helps to put all of that into perspective while contributing to our knowledge of why these changes occurred.

The 9/11 Memorial

When you visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the first thing you’ll see is the memorial. The whole memorial comprises eight acres in the center of the World Trade Center complex. There are three different sections in the memorial, but the Memorial Pools are the main focus points. The other two sights are the Survivor Tree and 9/11 Memorial Glade

The Memorial Pools sit on the footprints of what were the North and South Towers. They are each nearly an acre in size and contain the largest human-made waterfalls in North America. The waterfalls spill into a large basin before eventually falling into another deeper basin in the central part of the pool.

Along the perimeter of each pool are bronze parapets containing the names of the 2,983 lives lost on 9/11 and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

The whole scene is truly breathtaking, especially when you consider the events that happened here on 9/11. What struck me most was how quiet it was. Besides the constant flow of water, there was almost no other noise as everyone seemed to be giving their own moment of silence in respect to what we lost on this spot.

After the Memorial Pools, we were eager to go into the museum, so we didn’t stop to see the Survivor Tree or the 9/11 Memorial Glade.

The 9/11 Museum

Whereas the memorial outside is a place for quiet reflection and tranquility, the museum was more of an emotional tour de force. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum hits you almost immediately upon walking in with a hallway filled with several video boards showing images from 9/11 with voiceovers providing their experiences from the day. It’s a poignant exhibit to start your tour, but it’s only the first of many hard-hitting moments of the museum.

I’m not going to go into detail about each exhibit and artifact. That would simply be impossible because of how extensive the museum is. It’s beyond the breadth of this article. I will, however, take you through some of the highlights in the order you’ll encounter them.

Two Steel Columns Left Standing From 9/11 At The Beginning Of The Museum
Two steel remnants at the start of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Outer Concourse Exhibits of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

I’m technically lumping several differently named areas into one here. Based on the flow of the museum, it’s just easier to put everything here into one category.

Much of this concourse consists of larger artifacts like chunks of steel, foundation or antenna that either fell to the New York City streets below or else were left buried in the ground after the buildings fell. It’s all sobering to think that such massive structures could be reduced to what is left in this museum. There are four particularly noteworthy pieces in the concourse worth mentioning.

The National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. is another excellent museum where you can learn more about 9/11 and other important events in America’s past.

Survivors’ Stairs

This staircase is the last remaining above-ground structure from the World Trade Center complex to survive 9/11. It was actually slated to be demolished, but eventually the decision was made to move them to their current place in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

The staircase served as an escape route for hundreds of people fleeing the carnage of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Next to the staircase is a recognizable photo of several evacuees making their way down the staircase. When you visit, try to imagine what it must have been like to be one of the lucky survivors escaping on this stairway.

Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning

The artwork on this wall is the work of Spencer Finch. It consists of 2,983 squares, each a different shade of blue, to commemorate each life lost on 9/11 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. On the wall is an evocative quote from Virgil that states, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”

No Day Shall Erase You From The Memory Of Time
“No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”

Ladder Company 3 Truck

Among the first people on the scene after the North Tower was struck, Ladder Company 3 suffered some of the heaviest casualties of any New York City Fire Department company. Nearly half of the company was in the North Tower when it collapsed, killing all those trapped inside.

The mangled wreckage of their truck remained as a lasting testament to their bravery and courage. Take particular note of the twisted metal beams and cables coming out of the truck. These are the remains of the ladder that got destroyed as the North Tower collapsed. Like many of the other items in the museum, it barely seems possible that something could have caused so much damage.

The Last Column

This 36-foot-tall piece of steel was the last column to be removed from the World Trade Center wreckage after 9/11. When it was first uncovered, FDNY Squad 41 used it as a marker to identify the locations where remains of their fallen comrades were found.

Others began to use the column in a similar fashion. Friends and family left inscriptions and mementos of loved ones lost on 9/11, creating a memorial among the debris.

In Memoriam

In Memoriam is dedicated to the 2,983 casualties of 9/11 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Photographs of the people lost on those days cover the four walls of this exhibit in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

There is another smaller room within the main room. This room shows a montage of recordings from friends and family giving remembrances for those lives lost.

Reading the number 2,983 gives you a scope of the human tragedy from those days. Yet, just reading that number can seem somewhat impersonal. In Memoriam’s photos and videos breathe life into that number, making everything you’re seeing more intimate and human. It’s one of the most powerful exhibits in the museum.

Historical Exhibition: September 11, 2001

Here is the real meat of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Within this exhibit are numerous artifacts, videos and audio recordings detailing the events of 9/11 and their aftermath. Many of the exhibits are graphic in nature and can be difficult to see. The curators of the museum held nothing back when they assembled this exhibit. They want you to understand the terror and trauma of that day.

Make sure you follow along the left outer wall where they describe the events of that day by the minute. These descriptions are helpful to keep you oriented as you move through the exhibit. Otherwise you can get lost due to the number of objects on display.

There are far too many items in this exhibit for me to adequately describe. In fact, I probably only saw roughly 50-75% of what it contains because there is just so much to see. It was also a bit overwhelming because of the quantity and emotional impact everything has. Despite that, make sure you take your time to see as much as you can. It’s difficult, but it’s worth it.

In so doing, they created a very impactful exhibit. Throughout this exhibit you will feel a range of difficult emotions. No matter how you may feel, it is important that you take your time to appreciate what you’re seeing. Only by remembering the extent of how terrible 9/11 was can we hope to prevent future events of this devastation.

Reflections on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

If I’m being perfectly honest, I did not expect this museum to take such an emotional toll on me. I didn’t even want to go. In my mind, what was the point? I lived through that day and didn’t need to relive it.

How wrong I was.

There was so much I either forgot or never knew. Beyond that, the museum gives the day a human face by focusing on stories about the people whose lives were lost. Doing so makes it harder to process, but it is important to know that these were living, breathing people who died that day rather than empty numbers.

Overall, the whole experience was difficult. I experienced a variety of emotions, the most prominent of which were sadness, frustration and anger. It is hard to contemplate how people can fall to the point that they would do something like this to another group of people. This is true whether you understand the historical context of terrorism or not.

Seeing those images of the planes flying into each building, listening to or reading the text of calls made from people inside the towers, being forced to relive how I felt on 9/11… It fills me with emotion that I can’t fully form into words.

Now, with all that said, I’m still very glad I went. It’s a part of our history that needs to be known in all its horrific detail. It’s okay to be sad and angry. These are appropriate emotions for something of this nature. Understanding how and why 9/11 happened makes it easier to deal with these feelings in a suitable manner.

My Only Criticism of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

I do have one critique of the museum. Towards the end of the historical exhibit, there is a section discussing the terrorists, Al Qaeda and Islamic terrorism. Considering the emotional impact the rest of the museum has, I wish they had gone to greater lengths to clarify that the mainstream Islamic religion does not condone terrorism.

The people who commit atrocities like 9/11 are a small sect of Islamism that have manipulated their religion to mislead their followers. There are still far too many people who associate Islam with terrorism, and 9/11 is a large reason why.

Maybe for others the museum did do enough to demonstrate this. It is fully possible that I was just mentally drained after going through the museum so I either overlooked something or just didn’t process it effectively. Nevertheless, even if I’m the only person who feels this way, it’s still important to restate that Islam does not equate to terrorism.

Practical Info About the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

How to Get There

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is located in the Financial District of lower Manhattan. It is easily reachable by either subway or bus.

Nearby Subway Stops: Chambers Street, Fulton Street, Park Place, World Trade Center, Rector Street, Cortlandt Street, WTC Cortlandt

Nearby Bus Stops: Broadway and Thames, Trinity and Rector, South End Avenue between Liberty and Albany, Vesey Street between North End and West

Tickets and Fees

There are several ticket options available to visit the museum. I won’t detail each, but if you are interested in learning more, click here.

They also offer guided tours that last for 60 minutes. These tours range from $20 to $53 (the cheaper options are for members of New York City’s fire or police departments). In my opinion, I’m not sure what more a guided tour could have offered. Everything was presented with ample descriptions that made me come away feeling more than satisfied with the experience.

You can purchase timed-entry tickets up to six months ahead of time. I always recommend doing this to guarantee your entry at the time most convenient for your visit.

Photography

Photography is allowed throughout the outside memorial and in parts of the museum. However, try to be sensitive to what you’re photographing.

I saw many people at the memorial taking smiling selfies and group photos. Call me uppity, but this is not the time or place to be doing the whole “look how much fun I’m having” photo shoot. I hate to sound like a killjoy but consider that there might be someone standing next to you who lost a loved one on 9/11.

Photography is not allowed in much of the museum due to the tragic nature of the artifacts contained within. Personally, I took a couple of photos before stopping because it felt weird. These objects felt sacred, like somehow my picture would diminish their legacy.

At minimum, pay attention to the signs saying when photography is not allowed. I saw at least one person taking photos of a wall dedicated to pictures of the deceased from 9/11 which to me was very beyond the pale. (To the staff’s credit, someone quickly came and asked her to stop.)

Can Kids Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum?

There is no age restriction for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Nevertheless, due to the graphic nature of the museum, it is advised that children under the age of 10 should not enter the museum.

I have to agree with this recommendation. Some of the exhibits can be traumatizing for children who are not old enough to understand what they are seeing. I would go so far as to say that children between the ages of 10 and 12 should only visit the museum if they have had the material explained to them beforehand.

Children of any age should be able to visit the outdoor memorials without any issues. They may, however, require some education about what the names listed on the parapets around the waterfalls mean.

Make sure to take a look at my 24-hour walking tour of Midtown Manhattan for more recommendations of things to do in New York City.

One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center, a demonstration of our ability to move forward.

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42 Comments

  • Molly @ Transatlantic Notes

    November 5, 2021 at 7:54 pm

    I haven’t visited yet myself but it is a place I would like to see. I remember that day vividly and the fear of trying to contact my Mum and Step-Dad who had flown out through Boston airport on September 10th — my Mum went to the memorial a number of years ago herself. It’s both surreal and heartbreaking to know how historic this moment was — and to have seen it literally unfold live on television. Thanks for the info about it all.

    • paulexplorestheworld

      November 6, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      I hate that we even have to talk about it, but no one can choose the events of their lifetime. I understand your fear. My hometown is kind of in the flight path of where Flight 93 was. Even though in hindsight it was pretty unrealistic, I remember people being scared that our small town could be contacted. Completely justified at the time since no one had any idea what was happening.

  • Retirestyle Travel

    November 7, 2021 at 10:33 am

    This is a sad, but important memorial. I have been to the outside, but never inside, so thanks for sharing. That picture of the deep hole is very powerful. Places like this (and the Human Rights Museum in my hometown of Winnipeg) always lead to deep reflection after leaving.

  • barry

    November 7, 2021 at 6:45 pm

    This is a truly moving piece of writing. I love your letting go of emotions and telling it how it is and how you felt. The tragedy of 9/11 stays in the memory of people like us who lived through that day. I only saw the event evolve in disbelief and shock on tv here in the UK but had a work colleague who was in the city on the day and experienced it at close hand. Another close friend lost a work colleague in the attack. I just happened to be booked to visit NY around 3 weeks after the event and saw the site still in its destroyed state. We visted a church nearby that had been set up as a makeshift memorial and the photos and artifacts from the day inside were heartbreaking – I admit I cried at the devastation. One day I will get back to see the Memorial. Thank you for being honest in your feelings and viewpoint. My Islamic friends were as shocked as I was and as you say, reiterated that this was not done in their name.

    • paulexplorestheworld

      November 7, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      I’d love to hear to more on what the city was like so soon after the attack. It would be particularly interesting to hear an outsider’s point of view. I was young enough that my life has essentially been framed by 9/11 but I will say that day seems like I was watching someone else’s life on TV. Even 20 years later it all seems more vivid than most else from those years of my life.

      • Stephen

        November 14, 2021 at 8:38 pm

        I’m SO appreciative that you made the point about Islam. Thank you! What a moving post. I’ve only seen it from the outside, quite a few years ago. If I recall correctly it was still under construction. I just remember feeling overwhelmed that I was standing there, so many details are foggy now. But that hole in the ground – beyond powerful.

      • paulexplorestheworld

        November 14, 2021 at 10:44 pm

        It’s almost an out-of-body experience. You think about the horror that occurred on that day and realize that you’re standing there on a sunny, beautiful day (when I was there at least). It just didn’t seem real. I hope you get a chance to go back to visit the museum. It’s a remarkable experience.

  • Marysa

    November 9, 2021 at 8:03 am

    I haven’t been to the memorials yet. It looks like it is very well done. I would be interested to visit there some time, as it has been quite a while since I have been to NYC. I think it would be a very moving experience.

    • paulexplorestheworld

      November 9, 2021 at 2:30 pm

      It was very moving. It’s definitely worth going, even to at least see the memorials but I would try to make time for the museum the next time you get to NYC. Thanks for taking the time to visit and read my blog!

  • Autumn

    November 10, 2021 at 11:17 am

    This was such a sobering place, but I’m glad I visited it a few years back when I was in NYC. I’ll never forget the experience.

  • Mitch

    November 16, 2021 at 8:37 am

    Thank you for your reflections on the memorial and museum, it sounds as though it was hugely emotional and very moving. Like many events in world history it is so important that we understand what happened and learn from it.

  • Steven Jepson

    November 16, 2021 at 9:52 am

    The solemnity that you describe very much reminds me of our visit to the Peace Park in Hiroshima Japan. This is the first I’ve read of the memorial. After your description, I very much look forward to visiting myself sometime

  • Emma

    November 16, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    This was probably the most emotional experience I’ve ever had walking around a museum. Not much compares, and even as a non-American I found myself spending hours in this place reading every single detail and absorbing all that history from a day I do remember watching unfold on TV from the UK. Definitely a must visit for anyone visiting New York.

    • paulexplorestheworld

      November 16, 2021 at 6:37 pm

      That’s how I felt, too. The only thing that really compares is the Deportation Memorial in Paris but it wasn’t quite the same. I imagine because I actually lived through 9/11 it made it seem more…real and visceral? (By no means am I downplaying the Holocaust.)

  • SteveH

    November 17, 2021 at 8:42 pm

    THXS for posting such an excellent piece on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. You captured the feeling many of us get after the first visit or for that fact after subsequent visits.

  • Becky Exploring

    November 17, 2021 at 11:15 pm

    Thanks for sharing your experience of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Paul. When I visited, I only stayed outside at the Memorial. After reading this, I think I’ll go back one day for the museum as well. The feelings you described remind me of how I felt visiting the Holocaust Museum. A very sobering experience but important to remember these events.

  • Travel for a while

    November 24, 2021 at 1:00 am

    This is a very well-written piece, Paul. I like how you mix information with your flow of emotions. I haven’t made it to New York yet, but I think you are right, every citizen of the world should see the 9/11 Memorial and the museum.

    • paulexplorestheworld

      November 24, 2021 at 8:36 pm

      I was really looking forward to New York as an adult but even then I was still surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I definitely recommend visiting when you get a chance. Thank you for your feedback on the article. I really appreciate it!

  • Kerry

    November 28, 2021 at 11:11 am

    I’m not really a museum person and I’ve been to the outside. However after reading your review it sounds genuinely interesting and moving to experience the full memorial. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

    • paulexplorestheworld

      November 28, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      I honestly almost feel like calling it a museum is understating what exactly it is. It’s more of a memorial, but I suspect because the outside is already called a memorial is why they called this a museum.

  • Em

    December 5, 2021 at 4:32 pm

    Thank you for your review on the memorial Paul! As a young European I have virtually no memories of this unfolding and we’re not really taught this at school obviously, so it’s nice to hear the perspective of an American in such a candid way. Obviously we now ourselves have had to deal with terrorist attacks and I can only sympathise with your people. I have not made it to New York just yet but it is something I’d like to do at some point in the next five years!
    Em x – https://www.earthlyem.co.uk

    • paulpassingthrough

      December 5, 2021 at 8:30 pm

      In a way, I’m glad that you don’t remember it. It is horrible to relive. On the other hand, it is the memory of such things that helps to us grow and prevent them from happening again which is why I say in the post that everyone should visit this museum to experience what it was like. Thanks for reading and I appreciate your feedback!

  • Alison

    August 17, 2022 at 11:58 am

    I haven’t been back to NY since the museum opened but I’d definitely like to go to pay my respects. It’s one of those events I’ll never forget where I was and what I was doing. In fact, I’d not long been to NY and actually stood on the top of the WTC so that added an extra element of shock to it – it just seemed so unreal.

    You write beautifully about it and a lot of your feelings I can relate to from visiting Auschwitz – emotionally draining but important to remember.