Memorial or Museum, the Difference
| The Memorial | The Museum | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | The plaza at street level, about half of the 16-acre site | Bedrock under the plaza, entered at 180 Greenwich Street |
| Hours | Daily 8 am to 8 pm | Wednesday to Monday 9 am to 7 pm, plus many Tuesdays; last entry 6 pm |
| Ticket | None | Timed ticket, bought in advance |
| What you see | Two pools, 2,983 names, the Survivor Tree, the Glade, the oaks | Three exhibitions, the slurry wall, the Last Column, the tridents, the Survivors’ Stairs |
| How long | 20 to 45 minutes as a rule | At least 45 to 90 minutes; two hours in practice |
Hours as published; check the museum’s own page on 911memorial.org before travelling.
Where each one is
Both are on the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, bounded by West, Vesey, Church and Liberty Streets. The memorial plaza takes about half of the 16 acres. The museum lies beneath it, at the bedrock the towers stood on, and its only public entrance is the pavilion at 180 Greenwich Street. The getting-there page lists the stations around the site.
Hours and the ticket
The plaza opens daily from 8 am to 8 pm with no ticket; after 8 pm it is roped off. The museum opens Wednesday to Monday from 9 am to 7 pm, plus many Tuesdays and holiday hours on a special-hours page, with last admission 60 minutes before closing. Museum entry is by timed ticket, sold up to six months ahead. Both sets of hours are as published; check the museum’s own page on 911memorial.org before travelling. The booking page explains the slot system.
What you see at street level
The two pools sit in the footprints of the North and South Towers, each nearly an acre, with water falling 30 feet into each and a further 20 feet into a central void. The 2,983 names run round the bronze parapets. The Survivor Tree, a Callery pear returned to the plaza in December 2010, stands among about 400 swamp white oaks. The Memorial Glade, six granite monoliths on the south-west of the plaza, was dedicated on 30 May 2019.
What you see below
The museum holds 110,000 square feet of exhibition space and three permanent exhibitions: the Historical Exhibition, the Memorial Exhibition called In Memoriam, and Foundation Hall with the slurry wall and the Last Column. The 80-foot tridents stand in the pavilion atrium. The what-is-inside page walks through the spaces.
How long each takes
A walk round the plaza takes 20 to 45 minutes as a rule. The museum says to plan at least 45 to 90 minutes, and reviewers regularly say two hours; Chris (UK), on a second visit, wrote “allow 2hrs”. The timing page adds the walks and the observatory.
What the tours sell
Five of the six products on this site are guided walks of the memorial, the free part, with the museum as an option. Inside the museum the walking guide does not lead; the museum’s own docents do, on the guided-museum options. The sixth product is the museum’s own timed ticket. The tickets hub groups them by layer.
Emma (UK) walked round the two pools before her museum slot. The plaza opens at 8 am, an hour before the museum, so the same order works for anyone with a morning ticket.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 9/11 Memorial the same as the 9/11 Museum?
No. The memorial is the free plaza at street level. The museum is the ticketed space about 70 feet below it. The same non-profit foundation runs both.
Can you see the memorial without a museum ticket?
Yes. The plaza, the pools and the names are free every day from 8 am to 8 pm as published. The cost page lists what is free and what is not.
Does a museum ticket include the memorial?
The memorial is free anyway, so every museum ticket holder can walk the plaza before or after the slot.
Where is the museum entrance?
The glass pavilion at 180 Greenwich Street, on the plaza. Security screening happens inside; see the visitor rules.