The National 9/11Memorial and Museum pay tribute to victims of the September 11 attacks in anarea of somber tranquility in busy Lower Manhattan. Visit this spot, once theWorld Trade Center Twin Towers, then Ground Zero and now a peaceful park andmuseum.
Following theterrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Ground Zero became an emotionalbattleground as survivors, families of those who lost their lives and thegovernment grappled with how best to use the empty space to honor the loss oflife. Now a place for solemn reflection, the created site is also an oasiswhere city workers, tourists and local visitors can relax in a beautifullylandscaped plaza.
Two enormousreflecting pools cover part of the space where the Twin Towers stood. Each hasa waterfall created to symbolize the lives lost in the terrorist attacks of2001 and 1993. View the names, etched into bronze parapets, of the nearly 3,000victims who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93.
In the surroundingMemorial Plaza, a 6-acre (2.4-hectare) area with 400 trees, look for theSurvivor Tree, a pear tree found badly burned beneath the rubble of the TwinTowers. It survived the horrible catastrophe and now stands tall again, athriving symbol of hope.
Below the MemorialPlaza is the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Atplaza level, the exterior of the museum’s entry pavilion is designed toresemble a portion of one of the Twin Towers laid on its side. Inside, seeartifacts collected in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and listen tooral histories.
Several new officebuildings now fill the physical void created when the Twin Towers fell. At1,776 feet (541 meters), One World Trade Center is one of the world’s tallestbuildings. Purchase a ticket online to visit the One World Observatory on the102nd floor.
The9/11 Memorial and Museum are located in Lower Manhattan, accessible by bus orsubway. Obtain a free visitor pass for admission to the 9/11 Memorial. Themuseum has a fee. See the official 9/11 Memorial website for details.
