9/11 FAQs | National September 11 Memorial & Museum (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between the 9 11 Memorial and Museum and the 9 11 Tribute Museum? ›

The 9/11 Tribute Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit, and is a project of the September 11th Families' Association. While the larger National September 11 Memorial & Museum focuses on those who died, Tribute has maintained their focus on the survivors.

Purchase Tickets

The Museum is currently open to the public six days a week (plus select Tuesdays) and requires advance ticket purchase. The Memorial is free and open to the public seven days a week; you may purchase our Outdoor Memorial Audio Guides during your visit.

The Museum is open 7 days a week through August 5, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors are invited to explore at their own pace, but should plan on spending at least 45-90 minutes here.

The focal points of the Memorial are two pools, each nearly an acre in size, that sit in the footprints of the former North and South Towers. The pools contain the largest manmade waterfalls in North America, each descending 30 feet into a square basin.

New York City's 9/11 Tribute Museum closes its doors for good, citing financial losses during the pandemic. A view of 9/11 Tribute Museum on March 18, 2022. The museum saw a sharp decline in visitors and revenue since the start of the pandemic.

In 2014, the unidentified remains were moved to a repository located 70 feet underground within the structure of the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

Eating, chewing gum, or drinking inside the Memorial Museum, except in the café area (2nd floor inside the Museum Pavilion), or in designated areas during 9/11 Memorial & Museum-sponsored events. Smoking.

Definitely. There were many people walking around. It's a public space.

Measuring close to an acre each and 45 feet in depth, the pools serve as the base of North America's largest manmade waterfalls. Every minute, 50,000 gallons of recycled water slowly surge over the lip of the waterfall ledge creating sheets of cascading water.

Due to limited entry numbers, tickets may also sell out for the day you plan to visit. If you only have a short period of time in New York City, be sure to book tickets in advance!

Can you be late to the 9/11 Museum? ›

Late entry is not guaranteed and is permitted at the sole discretion of Museum staff.

Lovely and tasteful tribute to the lives lost on that tragic day. Made me weepy a few times, as it can be emotionally overwhelming, so plan something less somber for afterwards (we went to a Yankees game). Well worth the time and money, but it gets very busy so buy tickets in advance and go early in the day.

If you are visiting the museum, it is important to note that it is divided into three main exhibitions, located 70 feet underground. The Historical Exhibition itself is divided into three sections: Events of the Day, Before 9/11 and After 9/11.

The initial cost estimate of just under $700 million eventually ballooned to over $1 billion, forcing a redesign to bring the budget under control [source: Feiden]. The final estimate of the cost, with just a few months before the memorial is to open, is $700 million [source: Hollander].

How is the 9/11 Museum different from the 9/11 Tribute Museum? To put it simply, the 9/11 Museum located on the memorial site is the “official” museum. The 9/11 Tribute Museum is run by the September 11 Families Association and focuses more on the personal experiences of those impacted by the attacks.

The 9/11 Tribute Museum and the National September 11^th Memorial & Museum are separate non-profit institutions that both share the history of the tragic events that changed the world.

Eric's Tip: “The official 9/11 Museum focuses on 9/11 itself and is a must-see. After a visit to the museum, you can visit the workshop to delve deeper. The Ground Zero Workshop shows you what it was like to be on the front line at Ground Zero as a firefighter and you can touch objects there.

The memorial is located at the World Trade Center site, the former location of the Twin Towers that were destroyed during the September 11 attacks. It is operated by a non-profit institution whose mission is to raise funds to program and operate the memorial and museum at the World Trade Center site.

Criticism of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum began with the site's inception. A chief objection was over how the museum depicted Islam, including accusations that it failed to do enough to distinguish al-Qaeda from the majority of the world's Muslims.