National 9/11 Memorial and Museum,  New York, New York

9-11 Museum

It was a glorious blue sky New York day when I visited the Memorial in December, just as it had been on September 11, 2001. You cannot walk this sacred ground to the Twin Towers Memorial Pool and view the inscribed names of those lost in the terrifying events without remembering of that horrific day.

Memorial pools
Remembrances

The museum is located next to the recently completed One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower)

Freedom Tower
Oculus

and the Oculus Shopping Area. Both of these buildings symbolize the endurance and tenacity of New Yorkers.

The 9-11 memorial opened ten years after the attack and the museum opened on May 15, 2014.

Beginning our tour, my friend and I viewed a film that chronicled the events of the attack and the eight months of debris removal following the tragedy. The flag that was raised by the firemen over the site is displayed just outside the theater. There you can read the story behind the search for the flag that was lost for years.

The flag that flew over the site

Heading down the escalator, we moved past the Tridents, massive beams that were removed from the site and you are walking through the massive basement area where the towers stood.

Tridents from below

Down a darkened corridor, you hear the voices of survivors relating their stories of that terrible day that had begun as a lovely September morning.

Beginning the tour
Septemeber 11, 2001

Pictures of the tower before the event and immediately after surround you as your path spirals downward and you reach the bottom floor of the museum. Standing tall is the last beam removed from the site. It is covered in memorials to those individuals who worked on the site cleanup.

Moving down an escalator, you notice a concrete staircase next to you. This is the “survivor’s staircase”, where many escaped the plaza before the towers collapsed. This was the first artifact to be installed due to its weight.

Survivors Staircase

At the bottom of the staircase, I stopped to listen to a docent as he was giving a talk to a small group of visitors. Afterwards, I learned he had been a firefighter on the site on the day.  “This is my way of giving back”, he told me. It surprised me that he could so easily relate his experience but everyone finds a way to deal with tragedy.

Cell tower

Viewing the remnants of the massive cell tower that sat atop the tower was daunting.  The fire trucks that were partially collapsed reminded you how fragile seemingly strong machines can be.

The final beam removed from the site

Entering the center of the exhibit, a thirty-six foot long, sixty-ton beam dominates the room.  Here, there are many artifacts here to view.

Twisted beam after the tower collapse

Twisted iron beams that were crushed under the weight of a collapsing building, items used by the crews to dig for survivors.

A single window that survived the towers collapse

A single glass window from the towers that survived the epic destruction, intact is remarkable.

The interior museum within the museum is where emotions begin to tell the story. No photographs allowed here due to the very personal nature of the artifacts. For me, the most striking exhibit is the Flight 93 voice recordings presented in real time. It is difficult to hear as those men and women knew they would not survive but did everything in their power to stop the attack. They are true heroes. You cannot leave the area without being emotionally moved.

After the attacks

Much has been and will be written about 9-11, the causes and aftermath and you learn about both here. From the rise of terrorism around the world, previous attacks and the steps taken to try and resolve the conflicts. Your emotions will range from grief, pain, and anger to pride and love. You will not forget a visit to this sacred ground.

We can only pray that an event like this never happens again.

Tickets for the museum can be purchased online for timed entry to this unique and meaningful memorial.

https://www.911memorial.org/

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