Must-seeSight · MemorialFreeRainy day

9/11 Memorial and Museum

Two vast reflecting pools fill the footprints of the Twin Towers, with the names of the nearly 3,000 victims around their edges. The Memorial is free, 8 AM to 8 PM The Museum below needs a ticket bought in advance and is closed on most Tuesdays. One World Trade Center's observatory is next door.

Plan your visit →Official website

Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0

Open: Memorial: every day 8 AM–8 PM. Museum: Wednesday–Monday (and some Tuesdays) 9 AM–7 PM, last entry 5:30 PM
Price: Memorial free. Museum needs a ticket bought in advance.
Time needed: 2–3 hours
Best time: Weekday mornings for the museum. The memorial is moving at any time, especially in the evening.
Address: 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007Google Maps Apple Maps
Getting there: WTC Cortlandt (1), World Trade Center (E), or Fulton St (2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z). PATH trains from New Jersey stop at the Oculus next door.
Accessibility: The Memorial plaza is step-free, and the Museum is fully accessible with elevators.
On site: Café on the atrium terrace, 9 AM–6 PM. Bags are screened at the Museum entrance.

Why go

On the site of the World Trade Center, two square pools, each nearly an acre, sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers, with water falling into a central void. The names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are cut into the bronze around them. The museum below ground tells the story of the day through artifacts, recordings and the surviving foundations.

Tips

Allow 45 to 90 minutes for the museum at least; many people need more, and some exhibits are distressing.
The Oculus transit hall next door is worth a look, and One World Observatory is in the tower above.