The National September 11 Memorial
A sombre spot in the heady midst of downtown Manhattan, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum remembers the almost 3,000 people who lost their lives in the attacks on 11 September 2001.
In the months and years after 9/11, this former site of the towers of the World Trade Center was a scar on the cityscape, and a place where survivors as well as the families of those who died tried to come to terms with what they had endured. The stunning landscaped plaza you'll find on the spot now serves both as a peaceful and reflective space where people from all over can come, as well as a fitting tribute to that fateful date.
More than a decade may have passed since the attacks, but still much of this area is still under construction. Among the seven buildings planned to be built here, One World Trade Centre – dubbed the Freedom Tower – is set to be the world's third tallest building when it's finished in 2013.
The site of both of the Twin Towers is today marked by two large reflecting pools, at the heart of which you'll see beautiful waterfalls. Into the side of each pond, the names of the 2,977 victims are engraved. Around this memorial you can explore Memorial Plaza with its 400 beautiful trees, which was opened a decade after the attacks. You can also see the Survival Tree, a pear tree which was burned and almost destroyed beneath the rubble, but which survived against the odds and now endures as a symbol of hope.
Below the Memorial Plaza lies the 9/11 Memorial Museum, scheduled to open its doors to visitors in 2014. The entry pavilion of the museum is intended to look like part of one of the towers laid on its side, and contains an array of artefacts that were collected in the wake of the attacks.
Located in Lower Manhattan, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum site can be reached by bus or subway. It’s free to access the memorial, but you'll need a visitor pass. Check the 9/11 Memorial website for more details.