Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the day the 9/11 Memorial Museum opened its doors to the public. Six days earlier, the museum opened for a special tribute-filled dedication period including a ceremony on May 15, 2014, attended by 9/11 families, 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, active duty first responders, survivors and lower Manhattan residents and business owners.

“Here at this memorial, this museum, we come together," President Obama said at the dedication. "We stand in the footprints of two mighty towers, graced by the rush of eternal waters. We look into the faces of nearly 3,000 innocent souls... Here, we tell their story so that generations yet unborn will never forget." More than five and a half million museum visitors from all 50 states and over 150 countries have been introduced to the stories and lives of the people who died at this sacred site and more than 26 million visitors have come to pay tribute at the memorial.

In the past two years, U.S. and foreign dignitaries have also paid tribute, including former President George W. Bush, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and many others.

Additionally, Pope Francis hosted a Multireligious Meeting for Peace in the museum with leaders from various religions, communicating a message which noted that "lives of our dear ones will not be lives which will one day be forgotten."

Educational offerings for members and visitors have expanded to include a variety of public programs including daytime talks that examine 9/11-related topics and 30 nighttime public programs featuring notable speakers such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff 

Today the new special exhibition Hope at Ground Zero: FEMA Photographs by Andrea Booher opened in the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s south tower gallery. Featuring the work of Andrea Booher, a film producer and photojournalist dispatched by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to document ground zero after 9/11, the exhibition will remain on view through May 2017.

Arriving on Sept. 12, 2001, Booher spent 10 weeks at the site. The exhibition includes 62 images, along with the credentials she used to access the site during the rescue and recovery period. To the visitor, this exhibition may appear to have emerged in the space over night, but there were many steps in the installation process to bring this exhibition to life.

The previous gallery in the exhibition space was uninstalled. We were careful to tape out the space in order to accommodate all of the images and design elements. Installers pieced together wall murals panels, checking for straightness and the absence of air bubbles. The installers then used laser tape measures to lay out the photograph panels and text labels—moving down the wall, installing image by image. We applied vinyl text to the wall, using quotes from rescue and recovery workers to give the exhibition an added layer of content. The lighting designers tweaked the fixtures to appropriately light groupings of photographs. With the large-scale murals and photographs installed, the gallery came to life.

The last piece to be installed were two artifacts: Booher’s credentials, which she used to gain access to the site. Our mount makers delicately installed the artifacts into a case.

With all the exhibition elements in place, visitors can now experience a multi-layered environment that sheds light on rescue and recovery operations of ground zero, introduces voices of individual responders, and shares Booher’s perspective with privileged site access. Booher recently spoke with Aspen Public Radio about her experiences at ground zero. 

View some of the photographs in the exhibition

By Nicole Vanchieri, Exhibition Production Coordinator

The Lens: Capturing Life and Events at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is a photography series devoted to documenting moments big and small that unfold at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

The View: 9/11 Memorial Museum visitors take in the view of the slurry wall and Last Column from the museum’s Foundation Hall overlook.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

More than 200 people filled the 9/11 Memorial Museum auditorium last night, eagerly awaiting former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He was invited to discuss how the United States should approach current conflicts in the Middle East.

Before the program, Kissinger toured the museum with 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels. When he arrived in the auditorium, Kissinger was introduced by 9/11 Memorial Chairman Michael R. Bloomberg.

Kissinger addressed the audience with remarks on his experience inside the exhibition space. “[I was] moved by what I saw today and the way it brought [me] back to a moment of tragedy for the world,” he said.

He explained that before 9/11, we had never witnessed the immediacy of a direct attack on U.S. soil.

"9/11 will be seen as a turning point in which America would learn that we have to be engaged in the world. And not only do we have to be engaged, but we have to make a correct judgement about the nature of the danger and act on it while there is still time to prevent it," he said.

Kissinger stated that the threat of ISIS is twofold: it undermines the legitimacy of states by threatening the security states provide to their citizens and encourages Muslims across the world to rise up against their governments.

"ISIS not only has to be defeated, it has to be wiped out—and fairly quickly—because every month that they stay intact it is a demonstration that they have held the strongest military powers at bay," he said.

Learn more and reserve tickets for upcoming programs. Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

In recognition of National Autism Awareness Month, the 9/11 Memorial Museum recently hosted its first family access program.

Several families participated in a morning of discussion and art-based activities focused on first responders. Activities included making first responder badges and a touch table that allowed participants to try on firefighter equipment.

The program was designed to provide a space for families with children with autism to visit the museum for the first time and to begin a dialogue about 9/11. One parent said the program allowed her sons to have “the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum with people who understand the special needs of its participants.”

One mother, who participated in the program with her two children, explained that this was her first visit to the site since September 11, 2001. On that morning, she witnessed the attacks while in her office located on Wall Street, near the World Trade Center. The program provided an important experience for her in sharing it with her children.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum looks forward to continuing to work with a diverse range of audiences through future programs. 

By Shannon Elliot, Education Specialist 

Jose Mendes is an avid Benfica soccer fan from Portugal who recently became an American citizen, in part, to continue his work at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

Mendes has been a mechanic with the 9/11 Memorial engineer department for the past two years.

There’s something about working at the memorial that makes you want to be part of America, Mendes said through a translator. “I’m privileged to work here,” he said in English. And last week, he became an American citizen.  

His work responsibilities include repairs on the plaza, replacing damaged stone pavers and restoring the grates that surround the more than 400 swamp white oak trees.

Mendes mainly works during visiting hours and enjoys interacting with visitors. He says many visitors ask to take pictures while he works on the stone pavers.  

September 11 has significant meaning for him because he arrived in the U.S. on that day 25 years ago.

“I watched the second plane hit the tower live from my TV,” said Mendes, who was at his home in Yonkers, NY on 9/11.

Mendes is married with two children and has three grandchildren with one grandchild on the way.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff 

There’s still time to register for the fourth annual 9/11 Memorial 5K Run/Walk happening this Sunday, April 24. 

The 5K route includes meaningful sites such as "Point Thank You," where New Yorkers cheered rescue and recovery workers bound for ground zero, and serves as a reminder of how people came together after 9/11. This year, more than 100 FDNY and NYPD recruits will be positioned along the route to cheer for participants.

"The 5K Run/Walk and Community Day event brings together thousands of people each year to remember the lives lost on 9/11 and to recognize our city’s extraordinary resilience," 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels said. "The event is an opportunity for the community to carry on the spirit of camaraderie and kindness that came out of the tragedy."

Following the run/walk, participants and members of the public are invited to join us for Community Day on Greenwich Street next to the 9/11 Memorial. Community Day is free and offers activities for all ages, including a kid zone and live music performances.

The 9/11 Memorial would like to thank our sponsors this year, including RXR Realty.

"RXR Realty takes great pride in being the title sponsor of the 9/11 Memorial 5K for a third year in a row," Scott Rechler, CEO and Chairman of RXR Realty said. "Each year, this race brings together incredible individuals for a cause that is near and dear to our hearts. It’s an honor to take part in community events like this that impact the lives so many people in New York and the Tri-State area"

Registration for the 5K ends April 22, 2016. Visit 911memorial.org/5K for more information on bib pick-up and to sign up. Proceeds help to support the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff