9/11 Memorial Evening view of one of the twin reflecting pools at the 9/11 Memorial, New York City, designed by Michael Arad and Peter Walker and opened in 2011. (more) 9/11 Memorial complex, New York City, New York, United States Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: Table Of Contents Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/National-September-11-Memorial-and-Museum Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: 9/11 Memorial & Museum, National September 11 Memorial & Museum Written by Alicja Zelazko Alicja Zelazko is Associate Editor, Arts and Humanities, covering topics in the visual arts, architecture, music, and performance. Before joining Encyclopædia Britannica in 2017, she worked at the Art... Alicja Zelazko Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 28, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot In full: National September 11 Memorial & Museum (Show more) Also called: 9/11 Memorial & Museum (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the 9/11 Memorial for? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The 9/11 Memorial honors the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Nearly 3,000 individuals were killed on September 11 at the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of four hijacked planes crashed into the ground after passengers attempted to retake the plane." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What notable features are included in the memorial? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Two reflecting pools, each nearly an acre in size, are the centerpieces of the memorial, occupying the voids left by the destruction of the Twin Towers. Bronze panels surrounding the pools are inscribed with the names of the victims of the September 11 attacks and of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The memorial also has a plaza, in which there are more than 400 trees, including the u201CSurvivor Tree.u201D" } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " Is the 9/11 Memorial exactly where the Twin Towers were? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Yes, the focal points of the 9/11 Memorial are twin reflecting pools, which occupy the footprints of the Twin Towers. Measuring nearly an acre and sunk 30 feet (9.14 meters) into the ground, each pool is lined with waterfalls that cascade into a void at the center of a square basin. Surrounding the pools are bronze panels inscribed with the names of victims of the September 11 attacks and of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing." } } ] } Top Questions What is the 9/11 Memorial for? The 9/11 Memorial honors the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Nearly 3,000 individuals were killed on September 11 at the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of four hijacked planes crashed into the ground after passengers attempted to retake the plane.

　　What notable features are included in the memorial? Two reflecting pools, each nearly an acre in size, are the centerpieces of the memorial, occupying the voids left by the destruction of the Twin Towers. Bronze panels surrounding the pools are inscribed with the names of the victims of the September 11 attacks and of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The memorial also has a plaza, in which there are more than 400 trees, including the “Survivor Tree.”

　　Is the 9/11 Memorial exactly where the Twin Towers were? Yes, the focal points of the 9/11 Memorial are twin reflecting pools, which occupy the footprints of the Twin Towers. Measuring nearly an acre and sunk 30 feet (9.14 meters) into the ground, each pool is lined with waterfalls that cascade into a void at the center of a square basin. Surrounding the pools are bronze panels inscribed with the names of victims of the September 11 attacks and of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

　　9/11 Memorial, a monument at the site of the former World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City, honoring the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Nearly 3,000 individuals were killed on September 11 at the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of four hijacked planes crashed into the ground after passengers attempted to retake the plane. Designed by Israeli-American architect Michael Arad and American landscape architect Peter Walker, the memorial opened on September 11, 2011.

　　World Trade Center: jetliner approaching a towerThe second of two commercial jetliners hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists approaching one of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, while smoke billows from the crash site of the first jetliner, New York City, September 11, 2001.(more)The focal points of the memorial are twin reflecting pools, each measuring nearly an acre, that occupy the footprints of the Twin Towers. The two 110-story skyscrapers, designed by American architect Minoru Yamasaki (1973), had been the centerpieces of the World Trade Center. Each tower was struck by a hijacked commercial plane on the morning of September 11 and collapsed within two hours of the attack.

　　9/11 MemorialDetail of one of the reflecting pools at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Plaques with names of victims of the terrorist attacks are embedded with yellow roses.(more)The reflecting pools consist of two square basins that are sunk 30 feet (9.14 meters) belowground and lined with the largest manufactured waterfalls in North America. Water cascades down the sides of each basin and then streams into a central void. The edges of each pool are framed by bronze panels inscribed with the names of victims of the September 11 attacks and of the six people who died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

　　More From Britannica September 11 attacks: One World Trade Center and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum The memorial has a plaza that includes more than 400 trees, including swamp white oak trees and the “Survivor Tree,” a Callery pear tree that was recovered from the rubble of the World Trade Center, rehabilitated, and replanted. Adjacent to the memorial is the September 11 Museum, which opened in 2014. The museum is home to a permanent collection comprising more than 82,000 objects, including salvaged remnants of the World Trade Center buildings, recovered personal effects, and tributes left at the World Trade Center site. One notable piece is the “Last Column,” a steel beam covered with messages from rescue workers and others involved in the cleanup operations at the wreckage site, known as Ground Zero.

　　The design for the memorial was chosen in 2004 by a jury of 13 individuals who sought a proposal that not only honored the victims but also offered space for contemplation. Arad and Walker’s concept was selected from 5,201 submissions from 63 countries. American architect Thom Mayne, who was a consultant on the project, described the memorial as having “a solemnness, a simplicity, and an otherness which is absolutely perfect.”

　　Alicja Zelazko