Never Forget: Visit Our National Memorials Honoring 9/11

On Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people perished during the single largest terrorist attack in American history. More than twenty years later, millions of Americans still remember the events of that day. You can honor those who died by taking a journey to one of the three Sept. 11 national memorials.

The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Dedicated on Sept. 11, 2008, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is a beautiful open space shaded by 85 crape myrtle trees. The memorial contains 184 memorial units: benches surrounded by a lit water pool, each engraved with the name of a deceased service member or civilian. These benches honor all those who died at the Pentagon during the attack, including passengers on American Airlines Flight 77, which terrorists hijacked and crashed into the building.

The open-air memorial is free and is usually open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Check out the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial website for more information and to plan a visit. You can also learn about each family, friend or loved one that perished at the Pentagon, while experiencing the memorial virtually on Defense.gov.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum are two connected sites of remembrance and education, honoring those who perished at the World Trade Center in both the skyscrapers, in the Pentagon, on United Airlines Flight 175 and on American Airlines Flight 11 and Flight 77.

Effective July 13, 2022, the museum is open six days a week with new health and safety measures in place and ongoing operational changes to ensure a safe museum experience.

The outdoor 9/11 Memorial features almost-acre-sized reflecting pools and the largest man-made waterfalls in North America, nestled within the foundations of where the twin towers once stood.

The 9/11 Museum is the only national museum of its kind exclusively dedicated to recording the events of 9/11, as well as the lingering influence of the attacks on the country’s culture and politics. The museum features both permanent and visiting exhibitions, encouraging repeat visits to see these events from a different perspective.

While the memorial is free, the museum does charge for admission. The memorial is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Monday.

The Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania

The Flight 93 National Memorial is the third such site dedicated to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. It is located near the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The nearest town to the crash site is Shanksville. There, the passengers and crew wrestled control away from their terrorist hijackers, purposefully crashing the plane to prevent another attack, saving lives and thwarting an attack on the U.S. Capitol. The memorial is about two miles north of Shanksville and 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the full outdoor memorial and the Visitor Center to learn more about the memorial’s design and the 40 passengers and crew it honors. The National Park Service maintains this memorial and its grounds year-round. There is no entrance fee. The museum is open daily at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. each day.

Visitors should use the GPS address for this memorial: 6424 Lincoln Highway, Stoystown, Pennsylvania, 15563. The only entrance to the permanent memorial is located on U.S. Route 30.

Plan a trip that takes in the 9/11 memorials

As your military life takes you across this country, add a stop to visit one of these memorials to learn about those who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It is important not to forget what happened.