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About 9/11 Museum | History, facts, inside & much more

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum was established as a tribute to everyone who lost their lives in this attack. A visit to this museum is the best way to learn about what happened on that fateful day. Pay respect to those who lost their lives and see how everyone coped with the aftermath of the attack. Read on to learn more about the significance of this eminent structure.

9/11 Museum: Quick facts

9/11 Memorial Museum
  • Official name: The National September 11 Memorial Museum
  • Location: 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007, United States
  • Construction start date: 13th Mar 2006
  • Opening date: 15th May 2014 (to victims’ families), 21st May 2014 (to the public)
  • Architects: Michael Arad, Peter Walker, Davis Brody Bond
  • No. of visitors: > 3 million/year
9/11 Memorial Facts

What is the 9/11 Museum

9/11 Memorial Museum

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, also known as the 9/11 Museum, commemorates the attacks on the World Trade Center on 26th Feb 1993 and 11th Sep 2001. Both these attacks were some of the deadliest attacks of terrorism in the US that took the lives of thousands of people. The construction of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum started in 2006. Here, you can find over 40,000 images, more than 3,500 oral recordings, and over 500 hours of video footage that tell the story of these tragic events. Discover 14,000 artifacts as well to learn about how the events unfolded.

Why visit the 9/11 Museum

9/11 Memorial Museum
  • Uncover the tragic history behind US’ biggest terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001. 
  • Find first-person testimonies, historical records and material evidence of the immediate and ongoing repercussions of the 9/11 attacks. 
  • Discover more than 70,000 artifacts recovered from the site of the attacks. 
  • Explore the In Memoriam exhibition that commemorates all the 2977 individuals killed in the 9/11 attacks.
  • Also visit the 9/11 Memorial nearby that also has the names of all the victims, including the plane attacks.
Plan your visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Significance of the 9/11 Museum

9/11 Memorial Museum

The 9/11 Museum in NYC is a museum to honor those who died in the horrific attacks of 11th September 2001 and 26th February 1993. The museum also honors the heroes who lost their lives while trying to save others during the attacks and displayed amazing compassion after the attack. There are several exhibitions, commemorations, and educational programs held here to remember all the victims and the brave people who bonded together to help heal from these tragic wounds to the US.

Learn more about 9/11 Ground Zero

Brief history of the 9/11 Museum

  • May 30, 2002: After the 9/11 attacks, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) was founded to plan the rebuilding of the Lower Manhattan area. On May 30th, 2002, the debris was finally cleared after removing more than 1 million tons of steel and concrete. 
  • November 20, 2002: Larry Silverstein announced the plans for the first-ever rebuilding project for the 7 World Trade Center. After a competition, Daniel Libeskind's design was chosen for the 7 WTC, which included a set of spiral stairs that connected the northwest corner of the site to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum. 
  • April 1, 2003: LMDC announced another international design competition for the WTC Memorial Site. The final design of the museum and memorial was unveiled in December 2004. 
  • March 13, 2006: Work began to remove the remaining debris which marked the beginning of the construction of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. 
  • September 11, 2011: The 10-year anniversary also marked the dedication ceremony of the memorial and museum. Various dignitaries, including President Obama, Mayor Bloomberg, Larry Silverstein, and other officials, along with the family members who lost loved ones, gathered. 
  • December 2011: Construction work on the museum was halted temporarily over disputes on whether the Port Authority or the Memorial and Museum Foundation should cover the infrastructure costs. 
  • March 13, 2012: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began discussing the issues.
  • September 10, 2012: The issues were resolved, and the construction of the 9/11 Museum in NYC resumed.
  • May 15, 2014: Construction was finally completed, and a dedicated opening of the 9/11 Museum was held on 15th May 2014, for the family members of the victims. Many dignitaries, including President Obama, former President Bush, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and many more, gathered. 
  • May 21, 2014: The museum was officially opened to the public. A group of 24 police officers unfurled the National 9/11 flag, which was then taken into the museum for permanent display.

Design of the 9/11 Museum

9/11 Memorial Museum

After the 11th September 2001 attack, a memorial and museum were planned to remember and honor those who lost their lives. Designed by David Brody, the 9/11 Museum NYC has an area of 110,000 square feet and is about 70 feet below the ground. The museum can be accessed through a pavilion that features a deconstructivist design. The 9/11 Museum pavilion by Snøhetta resembles a partially collapsed building to describe the 9/11 attacks. There are two tridents in this pavilion that signify the Twin Towers and one of the museum walls is a slurry wall to show the Hudson river that remained intact through the attack. 9/11 Museum NYC has been designed to evoke memories of the attack without distressing the victims’ families and the first responders.

Inside the 9/11 Museum

9/11 Memorial Museum

Survivor’s Stairs

As the visitors access the exhibits of the 9/11 Museum via a ramp, they will come across a historic remnant called the Survivor’s Stairs. This staircase helped hundreds of people to flee the site during the 9/11 attacks. After the attack, these stairs were going to be destroyed, but were saved after the federal review process termed them as a historical asset. Visitors arriving at the main exhibition and the educational level follow these stairs that saved the lives of hundreds of survivors.

9/11 Memorial Museum

Memorial Hall

Memorial Hall, located between the prints of the two Twin Towers, houses two artworks. Inside the Memorial Hall, you will find a quote forged by Tom Joyce from the steel of the recovered WTC. The quote ‘No day shall erase you from the memory of time’ talks about the 9/11 Museum’s promise to remember the thousands of lives lost during the 9/11 attack and the 1993 World Trade Center attack. The artwork by Spencer Finch surrounds the quote, which is a panoramic mosaic of colored paper panels.

9/11 Memorial Museum

Foundation Hall

Foundation Hall is the largest space in the 9/11 Museum that is located beside the North Tower footprint. This hall features a slurry hall that holds the Hudson River. It symbolizes strength and resilience as this wall didn’t break during the 9/11 attack either. At the center, you will find a 36-foot steel Last Column that was the final part of the World Trade Center to be removed after the attack. This column is now covered with mementos, signatures, and inscriptions as a remembrance.

​Learn more about the artifacts inside the 9/11 Museum >

Timeline of the events of 9/11

  • 7:59am: American Airlines Flight 11 departs from Logan International Airport in Boston with 81 passengers and 11 crew members, bound for Los Angeles.
  • 8:14am: United Airlines Flight 175 also departs from Boston with 56 passengers and 9 crew members, bound for Los Angeles. At the same moment, Flight 11 is hijacked above Massachusetts, with 5 hijackers aboard the craft.
  • 8:20am: American Airlines Flight 77, carrying 58 passengers and 6 crew members, departs from Washington, headed towards Los Angeles.
  • 8:42am: United Airlines Flight 93, with 37 passengers and 7 crew members, departs from Newark International Airport, headed towards San Francisco.
  • Between 8:42 and 8:46am: Flight 175 is hijacked while flying above northwest New Jersey with five hijackers on board.
  • 8:46am: Flight 11 crashes into the north side of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, hitting floors 93 to 99.
  • 8:49am: The first news report is made regarding an attack on the World Trade Center.
  • Between 8:50 and 8:54am: Flight 77 is hijacked over southern Ohio with five hijackers on board.
  • 9:03am: 17 minutes after Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower, Flight 175 crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, with an impact from floors 77 to 85.
  • 9:05am: President Bush is just about to begin his reading of The Pet Goat to students when he is interrupted by the news of an attack on the second tower by Chief of Staff Andrew Card.
  • 9:21am: All bridges and tunnels leading into and out of Manhattan are closed.
  • 9:28am: Flight 93 is hijacked over northern Ohio with four hijackers on board.
  • 9:37am: Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, killing all 64 people on board the craft.
  • 9:45am: The US airspace is shut down with all operating crafts being ordered to land at their nearest airports.
  • 9:59am: After less than an hour from the moment of impact, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses due to structural damage owing to the fires following the crash.
  • 10:03am: Flight 93 crashes in the countryside in Pennsylvania after its hijackers fail to steer the aircraft towards its intended target of the US Capitol Building, deliberately crashing the plane instead.
  • 10:28am: The North Tower of the World Trade Center buckles under the damage of impact and collapses.
  • 10:50am: A portion of the Pentagon caves in due to fires.
  • 10:53am: The US Military is given orders to station itself at DEFCON 3.
  • 12:15pm: The US airspace is cleared of all commercial and private flights.

Controversies surrounding the 9/11 Museum

9/11 Memorial Museum

Little Syria

Little Syria was a neighborhood in New York City that housed Christian Arab immigrants and was located to the south of the World Trade Center. Adjacent to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, the cornerstone of St. Joseph’s Lebanese Maronite Church was discovered buried under the rubble. Several activists brought attention to this neighborhood and tried to persuade the 9/11 Museum to include a permanent exhibit about this site. They argued that thousands of visitors visiting the 9/11 Museum NYC should understand the patriotic role of immigrants from the Ottoman lands in US history.

9/11 Memorial Museum

Museum operations

When the museum was opened, the victims’ families and first responders raised concerns over the 9/11 museum tickets priced at $24. Many were also angered to learn that several souvenirs in poor taste were being sold at the museum for funding. On 29th May 2014, a US-shaped cheese platter was removed from the list of souvenir items. Also, it was decided that the victims’ families would review the souvenir items for sale.

9/11 Memorial Museum

Placement of unidentified remains

On the morning of 14th May 2014, the remains of 1,115 unidentified victims were transferred to Ground Zero. They were placed in the space of the bedrock 70 feet below the ground inside the 9/11 Museum. There was a divided reaction to this move and a silent protest was held by those against it. The protestors thought it to be disrespectful to the victims and their families for unidentified remains to be placed in the basement of a museum and not a beautiful memorial.

Plan your visit

Address: The National September 11 Memorial Museum, 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007, United States | Find on Maps

Directions and ways to reach
9/11 Memorial Museum
  • Wednesdays to Mondays: 10am to 5pm
  • Closed on: Tuesdays
Detailed opening hours

Frequently asked questions about the 9/11 Museum

What is the 9/11 Museum?

To honor the thousands of lives that were lost in the devastating 9/11 and 1993 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the National September 11 Memorial Museum was constructed and opened in May 2014.

Do I need tickets to visit the 9/11 Museum?

Yes, to be able to tour the National September 11 Memorial Museum, you will need to buy tickets. You can buy 9/11 Museum tickets online .

Is there free admission into the 9/11 Museum?

Yes, you can enter the museum for free every Monday between 3:30pm to 5pm.

What is the best time to visit the 9/11 Museum?

The 9/11 Museum tickets are booked in slots to ensure that it’s never too crowded. However, a lot of people visit between 12pm and 3pm, so avoid these hours if you want to avoid crowds. It also gets quite crowded on Mondays during the free entry timings.

Why is the 9/11 Museum important?

A great tragedy struck the US on September 11, 2001, when a group of terrorists crashed two aircrafts into the World Trade Center. Thousands of lives were lost, and this museum was constructed to honor the lost lives and first responders.

How popular is the 9/11 Museum?

Even after all these years, the tragedy of 9/11 is remembered as though the wounds were quite fresh. The museum receives millions of visitors every year.

What can you see inside the 9/11 Museum?

Apart from many of the recovered items from Ground Zero, you can also see the Last Column that survived the attack, some dedicated artwork, the Survivor’s Stairs that the victims used to escape the collapsed building, and many other symbols that allow one to remember the tragic day.

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