Located on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on NW 5th Street in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma City National Memorial honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and everyone affected by the tragic bombing on April 19, 1995. When you visit this powerful 3.3-acre site, you will experience a deeply moving space dedicated to remembrance and hope.
Your journey through the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial takes you past the monumental bronze Gates of Time, which frame 9:02—the precise moment of destruction—with 9:01 representing peace and 9:03 representing recovery. Between them flows the Reflecting Pool over polished black granite, where you can catch your own reflection. On the former building footprint sits the Field of Empty Chairs: 168 hand-crafted glass, bronze, and stone chairs arranged in nine rows to match the floors where victims were located, including 19 smaller chairs honoring children.
You can also walk past the historic Survivors' Wall, view the resilient American elm known as the Survivor Tree surrounded by the Rescuers' Orchard, and leave a tribute at the Memorial Fence. Inside the neighboring Journal Record Building, the Memorial Museum displays compelling artifacts detailing the event and its aftermath.
What to see at Oklahoma City National Memorial
- Gates of Time marking the moments of peace, destruction, and recovery
- Field of Empty Chairs honoring the 168 lives lost in the bombing
- Reflecting Pool flowing over polished black granite on former 5th Street
- Survivor Tree, a resilient American elm that survived the blast
- Memorial Museum exhibits housed inside the Journal Record Building
Visiting tips
You can leave your own small tribute along the Memorial Fence, where mementos are periodically collected, cataloged, and preserved.
How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Day or night
How to get there & what’s nearby
Oklahoma City National Memorial is easy to reach on Oklahoma City’s public transport. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Oklahoma City travel guide.
See the full Oklahoma City travel guide for where to stay, the best time to visit and the top things to do.