The National 9/11 Memorial Museum is located in lower Manhattan on the site of the World Trade Center. Except for the handsome entry pavilion designed by the Norwegian architects Snøhetta, the greater part of the vast 10,000 square feet of exhibition space is 70 feet below ground level, at the foundations of the original twin towers. Visitors are drawn into the chasm through a series of ramps, escalators, and viewing platforms that lead to the Manhattan core, its bedrock, where the museum—the thoughtful design the work of Davis Brody Bond, a New York City firm—divides into two, large square aluminum structures that display photographs, biographical sketches, and recorded remembrances of the nearly 3,000 individuals that perished, as well as an extensive exhibition of the events of that fateful September Tuesday and its aftermath. Next to the museum the 9/11 Memorial, comprised of a pair of enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, around which are etched in parapets the names of those killed in the attacks.

Just beyond the reflective pools of the September 11 Memorial is the National September 11 Memorial Museum. Architecturally intriguing and deeply moving, its collection of artifacts, video, photographs and audio create a dignified, reflective exploration of the day of the tragedy, the events that preceded it, and the stories of grief, resilience and hope that followed. From the museum's glass entry pavilion – which eerily evokes a toppled tower – escalators lead to the museum's subterranean galleries. On the descent, visitors stand in the shadow of two 70ft-high steel tridents, originally embedded in the bedrock at the base of the North Tower. Looking like giant, rusty forks, these scorched survivors are two of many objects that bear silent witness to the attacks. Among them is the so-called 'survivors staircase,' used by hundreds of workers to flee the WTC site. There's the last steel column removed from the clean-up, adorned with the messages and mementos of recovery workers, first-responders and loved ones of the victims. And then there's the New York City Fire Department’s Engine Company 21, its burnt-out cab a piercing testament to the inferno faced by those at the scene. The most haunting exhibition is arguably In Memoriam, its walls lined with the names and photos of those who perished. Interactive touch screens and a central reflection room offer more comprehensive information about the victims. To minimize queuing, purchase tickets online or at one of the vending machines outside the museum building.

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum commemorate the attacks on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the related attacks near Shanksville, PA and at the Pentagon, and the World Trade Center bombing of 1993. The names of the nearly 3,000 victims of these attacks, which included many rescue personnel, are inscribed on bronze panels around twin reflecting pools that are each nearly an acre in size and sit in the footprints of what were once the Twin Towers. These reflecting pools have the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. The museum examines the implications of the events of September 1, through multimedia presentations, artwork, artifacts, historical exhibits, and photographs, and it commemorates every victim of the terror attacks.

The tragic terror attacks of September 11, 2001, altered the hearts and minds of New Yorkers—and the world. To pay tribute to those who lost their lives, visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which rises over the center of the former World Trade Center site. On display is the Survivors’ Staircase, the last known visible piece of the towers that was left after the debris settled, and over 10,000 artifacts and 23,000 photos pertaining to that fateful day.

Everything you need to know about visiting the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tourist, commuter or longtime NYC resident: No visit to lower Manhattan is complete without paying your respects at the September 11 Memorial & Museum. Both the outdoor memorial and accompanying museum are solemn, moving tributes to the nearly 3,000 victims who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and February 26, 1993. Designed by Israeli architect Michael Arad, two of North America’s largest man-made waterfalls mark the footprint of each tower, framing the perimeter and cascading into reflecting pools almost an acre wide. The trees surrounding the area add to the mood of somber, tranquil reflection: Each one was selected from a 500-mile radius of the World Trade Center site, with others brought in from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C., the other places directly affected on 9/11. While the memorial is impressive on its own, the museum provides a complete picture of the courage and compassion demonstrated locally, nationally and internationally after the attacks, and it’s interspersed with pieces of the towers and other debris recovered by those who risked their own lives to save others. While you should spend an hour or two taking it all in, here are three especially memorable highlights. RECOMMENDED: 101 best things do in NYC See an emotional monument Located between the footprints of the two former towers, the most striking thing about Memorial Hall is the huge art installation by Spencer Finch, Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning. Huge is not an understatement: It features 2,983 individual watercolor squares, each its own unique shade of blue, commemorating those killed during the terrorist attacks on both days. The quote labeling the installation, “No Day Shall Erase You from the Memory of Time,”, was forged out of steel recovered from the towers by blacksmith Tom Joyce. It’s a promise to those who were lost and a comforting message of hope for their families. Be inspired by art Rage, grief, disbelief: Just as the city, country and world tried to make sense of the destruction that took place during the attacks, artists were tasked with the overwhelmingly difficult task of finding beauty in tragedy. The pieces in this exhibit were inspired by journal entries, notes, papers, photos, and other artifacts that were discovered in the days following the attacks. Two worth checking out: World Trade Center as Cloud, which portrays the towers as fluffy clouds made of pressed white linen, and 9/11 Elegies, which incorporates ash and grit from the site with black acrylic into a matrix of layered threads. Keep standing strong While the hall contains remnants from both towers, the most interesting pieces are the slurry wall—a piece of the watertight wall constructed for the WTC, the first time the technique was used on such a large scale—and the Last Column, a 60-ton, 36-foot steel column from the South Tower that was found standing after the rest of the debris was removed. Covered in graffiti, flowers, posters and photos, it became an object of veneration after the attacks and continues to symbolize dedication and unity. Our New York editorial team is constantly updating and reviewing the best attractions, activities and venues across the city, so that you're always in the know, with the best of NYC. at your fingertips. National September 11 Memorial & Museum was most recently updated with new tips on June 26, 2017.

Make a visit to the striking and solemn National September 11 Memorial, where two cascading waterfall pools are set within the original footprints of the fallen Twin Towers. You may also decide to visit exhibits chronicling the harrowing events of September 11, 2001, at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Artifacts salvaged from the site, photos, audiotape, ephemera and video footage sharply evoke the events of the day and those that followed. By AFAR Traveler, AFAR Contributor