When is 911 memorial to open

The 8-acre park is a supremely contemplative sanctuary, composed of a grove of nearly white oak trees, and the largest manmade waterfalls in the United States. Set within the footprints of the original Twin Towers, each pool is approximately 1-acre in size.

Visit Website. Terms of Use Copyright License Use of this Website is subject to the terms of this disclaimer and by using the Website, you agree to these terms. Disclaimer Silverstein Properties, Inc. Anyone stepping onto the 8-acre plaza arrives with one question: Where were the towers, exactly? The 1-acre-square pools answer that fundamental question in an instant. The memorial also tells the visitor what was lost.

Buildings that once went up are replaced by a memorial that goes down, albeit not as far as Libeskind first envisioned. The walls of each pool are thundering foot waterfalls cascading to a subterranean shallow and then to a second void within, one no visitor can see the bottom of.

The pools are ringed by parapets, bronze panels into which 2, names are etched, of the men, women and children killed in the attacks of Sept. The pools pull you closer. Arad had to design temporary stainless steel rails to keep visitors from leaning on the panels during regular resurfacing of the bronze patina.

The site is in a neighborhood of offices and apartment buildings, accessible to tourists but also a place where residents can walk or push strollers. Both are open from 10 a. After sunset, a bank of lights illuminates the falls in each pool from below, inside the splash zone. The light fades as it rises, brightest at the bottom and carried upward by the water, like a prism.

But the center, bottomless void, remains unlit. Night changes the names on the parapets, courtesy of light fixtures tucked inside each panel. The etched names, hollowed out by day, glow with soft yellow light at night. Rain adds a whole other element to the memorial at night, as light and water combine to create one continuous surface, whether in the pool or on the plaza. If the pools draw the eye down, One World Trade pulls focus skyward, with its tower lights ever changing.

Starting at dusk on the 20th anniversary, the annual Towers of Light — powerful blue spotlights shining straight up from the edge of the plaza — will revive the twin towers, in a way, till dawn on the 12th erases them once again. He talks about how hard that was to achieve, how they add an extra level of heart to the memorial.

But the architect could well be talking about the memorial experience itself, the sense of community it creates, both adjacent and meaningful, and not in a pit six stories below the street. The arrangement of the names became a flashpoint, grinding fundraising to a halt for a time.

Some wanted the names arranged by employer, which Arad dismissed as akin to a building directory. Around the North Pool are those who were in or near that tower, those on American Airlines Flight 11 and those killed in the bombing of the trade center. But there were connections that went beyond the fact that Cantor Fitzgerald employees died, or that EMTs died together in the south tower.

Did they have lunch together? Commute together? Then there are names arranged so they stand apart and distinct. The museum is closed to the public all day on September Only family members are permitted inside. The day before, September 10, the museum will close early usually around 3 or 4 p. Sunday through Thursday, the museum is usually open from 9 a. On Fridays and Saturdays, it is open for an extra hour, closing at 9 p.

The last entry is allowed two hours before closing to ensure that everyone entering has the proper amount of time to see the museum. Visiting hours are currently p. Thursday to Friday and 10 a. Saturday through Wednesday. Anyone visiting the memorial is required to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines, maintaining a distance of 6 feet from all other visitors and staff. Hand sanitizer is available throughout the memorial plaza, and you should apply some after touching the parapets.

The museum opened on Sept. It reopened to the public on Sept. Like the memorial, hours are reduced. From Thursday to Friday, the museum is open from p. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the museum is closed. There is no other event in New York City history with an impact as big as September But to really understand just how emotional and significant the day really is, you have to hear from the people who experienced it firsthand. Their stories — whether that includes hearing about it for the first time, watching it happen, or managing the chaos that ensued throughout the remainder of the day — will bring you face to face with the reality of that morning.

Who better to learn from than those who lived it?