The 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Ground Zero: Visitors Guide
Do you consider visiting The 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Ground Zero to learn about the history of tragic attacks and pay respect to their victims and heroes? This incident struck all people around the world, so once in New York, make sure you put this place on your itinerary. Here's our travel guide to The 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Ground Zero, including tips on what to expect, entrance fees, or how to get there.
Do you remember where you were when you heard the news about what happened in New York on the 11th of September 2001?
That very same day, horror images from Manhattan made front-page news around the globe, and it was impossible to escape this tragedy.
To be honest, I remember exactly where I was when I heard what happened in the USA, even though I was only a teenager living in a small European country, who at that time, did not pay attention that much about what is going on in the world.
It was something I could not comprehend as most of the images and news looked like from an apocalyptic world I definitely did not want to be part of.
Unfortunately, our lives are shaped by many events, and many things were not the same from that very day, but we only hope one thing will remain unchanged, an unceasing fight against terrorism and killing innocent people.
That day, New York lost many lives, but it also lost the Twin Towers standing in the very center of World Trade Center, skyscrapers that once defined the city's panorama.
A symbol of success and economic growth.
It took quite long to decide what to do with the space that every day reminded such a tragic day.
The area around the World Trade Center was and still is a very lively place in New York, and to commemorate what happened here, rather than forget, seemed like the right thing to do.
The result is The 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Ground Zero, and if you are planning your New York itinerary, this is, according to us a place, you cannot miss.
Yes, visiting both The 9/11 Museum and Ground Zero is not cheerful, and we definitely, during touring the grounds, experienced many feelings, from anger to disbelief.
However, this is a part of New York's history, a part of our history, which we can keep alive by visiting the museum, learning about this terrible event, and paying respect to the victims who were onboard those hijacked planes, but also first responders, who lost their lives here.
By the end of the tour, new feelings such as hope and faith came up.
In this travel guide, we want to share with you our tips for visiting The 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Ground Zero altogether with practical information on how to buy a ticket, where to stay, or how to get there.
VISITING THE 9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM
What can you expect when you choose to include this particular museum and Ground Zero on your New York itinerary?
It really does not feel right to talk about it with superlatives such as a must-visit place, the best thing to do, etc.
It is rather a site that nowadays inseparably belongs to New York's face and everyday life, and not all tourist attractions can always show only the bright side of life.
When we arrived at the entrance, we were quite surprised by the long queue outside, but as we had the skip the line tickets, we could enter the museum's premises straightaway.
Even though the entrance to the museum is on the street level, the museum and its exhibitions are spread across many underground halls, which creates kind of a surreal experience.
The space is quite interesting archeologically and architecturally because you can see here remnants of the World Trade Center, such as Survivor Stairs or The Last Column.
The museum itself has many dimensions, and we could only appreciate that everything seemed decently and thoughtfully put together.
You'll find here voice memos where people recollect what they had been doing on the day of the attack.
Heartbreaking tapes from people who were on board hijacked planes, you can read about the events that forewent those attacks.
You can see photos taken only minutes after the attack, or artifacts that belonged to people who were at that time in the WTC area.
The museum is also a memorial that reminds all those nearly 3000 victims, but also shows the efforts and heroism of the first responders such as firefighters, policemen, and other units.
One of the saddest parts of the exhibitions is the room, where you can learn more about the lives of every individual who lost their lives that day.
It is also necessary to say, that even though the major part of the museum focus on the events of 9/11, you can also read here about the bombing attack on WTC on February 26, 1993.
How much time you need for visiting The 9/11 Museum really depends on your pace.
It is easy to get absorbed here by listening to thousands of stories, reading all the information boards, and browsing all the photos.
If you are an average traveler who has many other things to see in the city that never sleeps, allow yourself at least two hours.
This way you won't have to rush, which is something this place, and especially people who were the victims of the terrorist attack surely do not deserve.
GROUND ZERO
Before or after your time spent in the museum, make sure you also stop by Ground Zero.
Ground Zero is a memorial, where, instead of the Twin Towers, are today two large pools with water cascading down its walls to a large hole in the middle.
On the edges of these two pools are engraved names of all victims from the years 1993 and 2001.
Ground Zero is basically a park, and it is nice to see this place alive again, even though it took a really long time.
Imagine, that only clearing the site from all the debris took eight months.
We all know that hijacked planes in New York took down the iconic Twin Towers, but of course, the harm to the area was on a much larger scale, and the whole space had to change.
Several skyscrapers in the area were damaged, some of them had to be demolished.
Nowadays, you can find in the very core of WTC new buildings, that slowly begin to be a vital part of Manhattan.
THE OCULUS
Once you stand on the square in the middle of WTC, you cannot but notice The Oculus, which is a uniquely shaped white modern building designed by a famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
The Oculus serves as a shopping mall and train station, but it is also an architectural gem that no visitor to New York should miss.
ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER
Another top attraction in the vicinity of the museum and Ground Zero is One World Trade Center that was designed by David Childs.
One of the most striking facts for us in regard to this building is its hight.
The height of this building is 1776 feet, which is definitely not a coincidence because the year 1776 is significant for the USA.
One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
New York has many observation towers in the city, such as the Empire State Building, but this tower opened in 2014 is a new addition to the selection.
You can buy a One WTC ticket and enjoy this unique experience.
ENTRANCE FEE TO THE 9/11 MUSEUM
The museum has been lately very popular, and it really pays off to buy your tickets in advance, to avoid waiting in the queue.
The museum admission costs 26 USD, and you can buy your 9/11 Memorial ticket online for a specific date.
In case you plan on visiting more must-see places in New York such as the Top of The Rock, Empire State Building, or the MET, consider purchasing New York City Pass.
This pass gives you a possibility to visit six top attractions in the city for a discounted rate, the 9/11 Museum included.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
HOW TO GET THERE
Getting to the memorial is extremely easy. Please, do not attempt to drive, because the parking situation in the area is very limited, and the site itself does not offer this option at all.
Depending on your schedule, you can arrive on foot. Actually we have visited this place on more than one occasion.
The first time we came here from Brooklyn Downtown via the Brooklyn Bridge.
The next visit was after our trip to Statue of Liberty, make sure to visit Wall Street along the way.
But the best option is probably taking the public transit, subway E train for instance, and get off at the station called World Trade Center.
WHERE TO STAY
The area of Lower Manhatten offers a large selection of hotels and hostels.
It is a great place to stay for travelers who look for a lively area with many bars and restaurants, but who also want to stay close to some of the top attractions in the city.
Moreover, public transport will get you anywhere from here.
New York's hotels are notorious for high rates, so in case you happen to find a great deal, do not hesitate and make a reservation.
We've handpicked the best hotels in the area for every type of traveler.
Budget | Hampton Inn Manhattan/Downtown- Financial District - Modern rooms, quality of service you can expect from this hotel chain, and tasty breakfast are the main selling points here. And of course, the location.
Mid-range | World Center Hotel - This hotel is perfect for sightseeing. It also offers wonderfully decorated rooms, friendly staff, and a perfect price/quality ratio.
Luxury | The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel - This unique hotel is only 500 meters from the Brooklyn Bridge, but we believe that you'll be completely blown away by the design of rooms and common areas. Definitely one of the tops picks, in case you do not mind to splurge a bit.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
