Frequently Asked Questions

The 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2011 the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in a ceremony for victims’ families. It opened to the public on September 12, 2011. All visitors will require an advance pass. Click here to reserve a pass.

Click here to learn about the Museum's design, educational resources and planned exhibitions.

The 9/11 Memorial is located at the site of the former World Trade Center complex in lower Manhattan, and occupies approximately half of the 16-acre site. The 9/11 Memorial features two enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, each about an acre in size, set within the footprints of the twin towers. Click here to learn about the design. 

Construction continues at the WTC site and along West Street. Millions of visitors are expected in the first year of operation. Plans are in place to ensure that the visitor experience is safe and meaningful and that special consideration is given to family members who lost loved ones on that terrible day. During the interim period in which the 9/11 Memorial’s visitor capacity is affected by surrounding construction projects, a temporary timed reservation system will be used. The reservation system, used by other institutions with similar, limited capacities such as the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument, will help reduce potential wait times and ensure as many people as possible are able to visit. Timed reservations will be free. A special system for victims’ families has been created to facilitate special access.

9/11 Victims’ family members are invited to visit www.911memorial.org/information-911-family-members for information about their unique access provisions. Victims’ family members can sign up to receive updates here.

The 9/11 Memorial is working with the tour and travel industry to facilitate group visits.  Group organizers can make reservations through the 9/11 Memorial’s Official Transportation Partners, or directly by phone with a Group Reservations Representative.  Because of the capacity limits described above, a limited number of groups can be accommodated each day. Please visit the group reservations page here or call (212)266-5200 for more information or to make a reservation for a group of 16 or more.

The names of the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 terrorist attacks will be inscribed on bronze panels lining the two pools. Waterfalls will cascade down all four sides of each pool, creating a special place for remembrance and reflection. The surrounding plaza will be filled with oak trees and a callery pear known as the Survivor Tree, which was nursed back to health after surviving the 9/11 attacks.

The entrance to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, a large pavilion with a glass atrium, houses two enormous tridents within its glass atrium. The tridents are artifacts from the steel façade of the original 1 WTC, also known as the North Tower. Although the pavilion will be inaccessible to 9/11 Memorial visitors, the majestic tridents will be visible from the plaza. The pavilion will open to the public when the 9/11 Memorial Museum opens in 2012.

At the time of the opening, some necessary construction on the plaza will continue. Visitors will be able to stand at the heart of the WTC where the twin towers once stood and witness the historic rebuilding taking place around them. In particular, the northeast corner of the plaza will be under construction because of its close proximity to the concourse level of the stunning, new WTC Transportation Hub, which has a separate construction schedule. Four new towers are rising just beyond the northwest and southeast corners of the plaza.

From March 11, 2012 - October 8, 2012
Monday - Sunday, 10:00am - 8:00 pm
Last entry at 7:00 pm

The 9/11 Memorial is meant to be experienced at all times of the day. Please consider both day and evening hours when reserving your visitor pass

The names of the nearly 3,000 men, women, and children killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993, are inscribed into bronze parapets surrounding the 9/11 Memorial’s twin pools, set within the footprints of the original twin towers. The arrangement of names will be made available at 911memorial.org, through an interactive smart phone application and on kiosks at the plaza at the 9/11 Memorial in the spring of 2011.

The names of each section of the 9/11 Memorial follow the headings below:

AROUND THE NORTH POOL
World Trade Center: Those who were working in or visiting 1 WTC (North Tower) on 9/11
Flight 11: The crew and passengers of American Airlines Flight 11
February 26, 1993: Those who were killed in the bombing of the WTC on February 26, 1993

AROUND THE SOUTH POOL
World Trade Center: Those who were working in or visiting 2 WTC (South Tower) or other areas of the WTC complex on 9/11
Flight 175: The crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 175
Pentagon: Those who were working in or were visiting the Pentagon on 9/11
Flight 77: The crew and passengers of American Airlines Flight 77
Flight 93: The crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93
First Responders: Those who received the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor awarded by the White House on September 9, 2005

Following each heading, the names are arranged so that those belonging to the same affiliation - for example, co-workers of the same company or the crew of each flight - are listed together. The next-of-kin of the victims and surviving colleagues have requested the names of specific individuals next to whom they would like their loved ones’ names inscribed. Some were with relatives, friends, and colleagues; others were with people they barely knew or had just met, but with whom intense bonds were quickly formed as a result of a shared response. Click here to learn more about the names arrangement.

Hotel accommodations near the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan can be found on the NYC&Co website. Click here for more information.

The Preview Site, at 20 Vesey St., will continue to provide visitors with information about the 9/11 Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial Museum and WTC redevelopment. The space will exhibit pieces from the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s permanent collection and visitors can contribute to the collection by sharing their 9/11 stories in an on-site recording room. In addition, visitors will be able to reserve passes to the 9/11 Memorial, with limited availability, on a Preview Site kiosk. Click here for more information about the Preview Site.

The 9/11 Memorial is located at the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. Visitors can access the Memorial by presenting their Visitor Pass at the 9/11 Memorial Entry at the northeast corner of Albany and Greenwich Streets.

The 9/11 Memorial is easily accessible by public transportation.

By Subway:
• A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, or 5 trains to Fulton Street: exit onto Fulton St. and walk west to Church St. Walk south and turn right on Thames St.
• 2 or 3 trains to Park Place: exit onto Church St. Walk south and turn right on Thames St.
• E train to World Trade Center: exit onto Church St. Walk south and turn right on Thames St.
• R train to Rector Street: exit onto Trinity Pl. Walk north and turn left on Thames St.
• 1 train to Rector Street: exit onto Greenwich St. Walk north and turn left on Albany St.

By Bus:
• Southbound: take the M5 bus to Thames St. Walk west to Albany St.
• Northbound: take the M5 bus to Rector St. Walk north to Albany St.

By PATH:
• To World Trade Center

Ferry service is available from Midtown Manhattan, New Jersey, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens.

For ferry information or additional transportation information, we recommend using one of our Official Transportation Partners:
Statue Cruises - www.statuecruises.com
New York Water Taxi - www.nywatertaxi.com
Twin America - www.twinamerica.com
NY Waterway - www.nywaterway.com
Big Taxi Tours - www.bigtaxitours.com

For GPS/additional directions, please use 1 Albany St. New York, NY

Visitors must reserve advance passes for a specific date and time. Visitor passes are free and are available through the 9/11 Memorial’s reservation system here. Once a pass has been reserved, it should be printed and presented upon arrival at the intersection of Albany and Greenwich Streets in lower Manhattan.

While still surrounded by other WTC construction projects, visitors holding advance pass reservations will enter at the 9/11 Memorial Welcome Site located at 1 Albany St. (at the intersection of Albany and Greenwich Streets). Visitors will be greeted by knowledgeable staff and provided with a brief orientation before proceeding onto the Memorial.

We have noticed some users with dial-up access and slow internet connections are experiencing trouble completing online reservations. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please call (212) 266-5200 for help in reserving a free visitors pass.