Have you been to the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site?

The Alliance for the Arts, which advocates for New York City's cultural institutions, took notice of some newcomers that "attract big audiences." One of those cultural newcomers was the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site located at 20 Vesey St., a few yards from the World Trade Center site formerly known as ground zero.

The AFTA Journal, the alliance's publication, says:

Since opening in Lower Manhattan in late August 2009, half a million people have visited the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Approximately 75 percent of visitors are believed to be international tourists. The site, located at 20 Vesey Street, contains information on the [National] September 11 Memorial & Museum, which is scheduled to open in September 2011.

The preview site, an attraction for all ages, offers an informative “preview” of what the 9/11 Memorial will look like once open for the world on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The preview site provides visitors with authentic artifacts, detailed architecture models, renderings and an on-site recording booth for collecting 9/11-related stories and remembrances.  Through a partnership with EarthCam, visitors can also take a visual journey to the construction site at WTC by viewing live footage through a webcam.  There are electronic kiosks allowing visitors to view this real-time construction, print the images or send them to friends and family.  Special programming  is also taking place at the preview site. It’s now home to the “9/11, Today and Tomorrow” speakers series.

Here's what The MEMO blog thinks (some what objectively) about the preview site.

If you've visited the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, leave a comment on The MEMO blog about your experience. If you haven't, explore the preview site today in support of the 9/11 Memorial.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial