Located at the World Trade Center site in New York City, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum offers a deeply solemn space created to honor and remember the 2,977 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as well as the six victims of the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing. When you visit this historic location where the original Twin Towers once stood, you will experience the moving "Reflecting Absence" memorial design created by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker.
Outside on the street-level plaza, you can wander through a tranquil forest of swamp white oak trees and pause beside two massive, recessed square reflecting pools set directly within the original footprints of the Twin Towers. Waterfalls cascade down into these pools while the names of the victims are inscribed along the surrounding parapets in meaningful adjacencies.
As you explore the plaza, you will also encounter the resilient "Survivor Tree," a Callery pear tree that survived the attacks. Inside the museum beneath the plaza, you will encounter remarkable preserved artifacts, including two salvaged steel tridents from the original towers and the historic Survivors' Staircase resting at bedrock level.
What to see at National September 11 Memorial & Museum
- Two giant reflecting pools marking the original Twin Tower footprints
- Inscribed names of victims surrounding the waterfalls on bronze parapets
- Plaza park surrounded by a forest of swamp white oak trees
- The Survivor Tree, a resilient Callery pear that survived the devastation
- Historical artifacts including steel tridents and the Survivors' Staircase
Visiting tips
Family members of individuals who died in the September 11 attacks receive waived museum admission fees.
How long: 2-3 hours · Best time: Daytime
How to get there & what’s nearby
National September 11 Memorial & Museum is easy to reach on Manhattan’s public transport. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Manhattan travel guide.
See the full Manhattan travel guide for where to stay, the best time to visit and the top things to do.