9/11 Memorial

The memorial portion of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center was dedicated on September 11, 2011—the 10th anniversary of the attacks—with a ceremony for the families of victims, and opened to the public the following day. Admission requires a reservation, which is free if made in person. Reservations made over the phone or online carry a nonrefundable $2 service fee (9/11 victims' family members are exempt). The memorial honors the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks on February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001 (including those who were killed in Pennsylvania and at The Pentagon). Eight acres in all, the Memorial Plaza features more than 400 trees and provides a sanctuary for quiet contemplation. Waterfalls flow into two large reflecting pools, in the towers' footprints, and the names of the men, women and children who lost their lives are inscribed in bronze parapets that surround the pools. The museum, which is in the works, will house exhibitions with artifacts, pictures, videos and accounts from people from around the United States and the world, amounting to a jointly told history of September 11, 2001. Also nearby, the 9/11 Tribute Center offers photos, walking tours and a collection of objects that bring visitors together in remembrance of 9/11 and in its aftermath.