Top 5 Tips for Visiting the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Built on the World Trade Center site, this underground museum documents the September 11 attacks. Outside, twin reflecting pools honor lives lost that day.

2 min read•Dec. 16, 2019•By Michele Laufik

Make the most of your trip to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

Hi, I'm Michele!

Michele Laufik is a writer and editor, covering topics such as travel, beauty and wellness, and the events industry for various print and digital outlets. She recently moved from New York City and now calls Lexington her new Kentucky home. Michele has written for Glamour, NBCUniversal, Martha Stewart Living, PureWow, BizBash, among others.

1. Find your connection

Those with a personal connection to someone lost in the attacks can visit the “Find a Name” page on the museum website to learn where an individual’s name is etched around the north or south pool.

2. Bring your kids

While such a somber setting may be upsetting to some children, on Saturdays the museum offers activity stations with age-appropriate ways for kids to learn about the history of the World Trade Center, the 9/11 attacks, and their aftermath.

3. Visit in the morning

If you’re hoping to find time for quiet reflection, visit the reflecting pools in the morning to avoid large crowds (the plaza opens at 7:30am), or later in the evening when the city begins to quiet down again.

4. Pay your respects on 9/11

Every year on the anniversary of 9/11, the memorial opens from 3pm until midnight for visitors to view the Tribute in Light—two giant beams of light that illuminate the sky and echo the look of the fallen Twin Towers.

5. See the Survivor Tree

This Callery pear tree was discovered at Ground Zero, burned with broken branches. It now blooms on the memorial site after being rehabilitated by the city.