The events of September 11, 2001, are seared onto the national consciousness and always will be. There are many tributes to the heroes, survivors and all of those who were lost on that terrible day throughout the city. The focal point is the unmissable National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which should be considered an essential part of any visit to the Manhattan area. It allows visitors both a sobering pause for recollection and the opportunity to marvel at the spirit of hope and defiance that came together in the days after the attacks.
The architecture of the memorial is stunning; the two huge artificial waterfalls were created by architect Michael Arad to sit inside the footprints of the fallen towers, both of them flowing into an acre of pooled water and surrounded by a canopy of trees. As you would expect, there is a sombre tone to the memorial itself, whereas inside the museum the tone is more upbeat.
Memorial Hall is arguably the most outstanding feature on the site; thanks in no small part to a huge art installation by Spencer Fish, which comprises of nearly three thousand individual watercolours. They all connect together in differing shades of blue, each one representing someone whose life was lost. Accompanying the piece is a motto – “No day shall erase you from the memory of time” – which is rendered in steel reclaimed from the wreckage of the towers. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is a powerful, emotional and poignant landmark.
Admission: $26 for adults, $20 students & seniors, $18 veterans. Guided tours cost more.
Opening hours: 9am – 8pm Sun – Thur, 9am – 9pm Fri & Sat
Address: 911 Greenwich Street
Website: https://911memorial.org/
For our picks of the very best attractions in New York click here.
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