A solemn tour of the harrowing Ground Zero site is an essential way to pay your respects to those who tragically lost their lives on 9/11.
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The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is a deeply moving and fitting tribute to the pain and suffering caused by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The site is located exactly where the Twin Towers once stood, the foundations now replaced with square reflecting pools amid clusters of swamp white oak trees and one Callery pear tree, known as the Survivor Tree; the only one to emerge from the rubble alive. Tours of the 9/11 Memorial and Ground Zero are often led by survivors, whose stories offer unparalleled insight and perspective.
NYC 9/11 Memorial & Museum Timed-Entry Ticket
The best low-cost way to explore Ground Zero is via this self-guided option, which includes a timed entry ticket to the 9/11 Museum. Here you can learn the story of that fateful day in depth alongside thousands of 9/11 artifacts ranged over three exhibitions, which include a timeline of events not just in New York, but at the Pentagon and on Flight 93, also. The Memorial Exhibition is a testament to the lives lost on that day, as well as those killed on February 26th, 1993 in that separate attack on the World Trade Center. From $18 per person.
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World Trade Center 911 and Ground Zero Walking Tour
If you’d prefer to explore Ground Zero with a local guide instead, there are a number of options available. There’s something far more profound and poignant about seeing this space through the eyes of those who lived through the events of 9/11. During this two-hour walk, you’ll discover the main sights, including the Reflecting Pools, One World Trade Center, and the Oculus, while hearing the stories of bravery and endurance. This tour runs Weds to Mon throughout the year. From $35 per person.
Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial Tour
This walking tour is all about seeking the small landmarks around Ground Zero that tell the biggest stories. You’ll learn about the heroics of the emergency services at the Firefighter’s 9/11 Memorial and stop by St Paul’s Chapel, which was repurposed as a rescue center at the time. New Yorkers lead the tours and bring a passion and base of personal knowledge that would be missed by anybody who were to visit this site on their own. Tours run twice daily, usually at 10:30am and 1pm. From $39 per person.
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Lower Manhattan Tour Wall Street & 9/11 Memorial
It’s possible to incorporate a visit to the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero into a broader walking tour of Lower Manhattan. This popular two-hour walking tour visits the 9/11 sites and Wall Street, exposing how this little region of the city played (and still plays) a significant role in world history. Other landmarks visited on this tour include the New York Stock Exchange, the Charging Bull and the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton at Trinity Church. This is a daily excursion and for $250, a private tour option is also available. From $39 per person.
9/11 Ground Zero Tour & Museum Preferred Access
If you are keen to experience Ground Zero as thoroughly as possible, then why not combine a guided walking tour of the 9/11 Memorial site with a timed entry ticket to the 9/11 Memorial Museum? Learn about lesser known facets of the rescue operation, for example Operation Aegis, in which 500,000 people were evacuated from Lower Manhattan by boat. Then skip the museum’s queues to explore the three exhibitions and the Foundation Hall, where the remaining column of the Twin Towers remains. From $79 per person.