The Museum Timed Ticket, Close Up
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum Timed Ticket is the museum’s own entry ticket, valid for a chosen date and time slot, sold on GetYourGuide with the museum’s own tour options attached. It covers the three permanent exhibitions at bedrock, about 70 feet under the plaza, entered through the pavilion at 180 Greenwich Street. The memorial plaza above it is free and needs no ticket.
What happens, step by step
Timed entry means the ticket admits for one slot on one date. The museum asks visitors to arrive 15 minutes before it and does not guarantee entry early or late. Last admission is 60 minutes before closing. The arrival page covers the timing.
- Book a date and slot, up to six months ahead. Children aged 6 and under enter free but still need a ticket.
- Walk across the plaza to the glass pavilion at 180 Greenwich Street. The pools, the Survivor Tree and the Memorial Glade are outside, free, and open 8 am to 8 pm.
- Pass airport-style security: magnetometers and bag inspection. One bag per person, no larger than 8 by 17 by 19 inches; larger bags go to the mandatory coat check.
- Cross the atrium, where the two 80-foot steel tridents from the North Tower stand, and take the ramp down towards bedrock.
- Visit the Historical Exhibition and In Memoriam. No photography at all in either, and the museum does not recommend them for children under 10.
- Finish in Foundation Hall, with the exposed slurry wall and the Last Column. The Survivors’ Stairs and the Ladder 3 truck are on the way.
- The café on the atrium terrace is the only place to eat or drink; the store is open during museum hours.
The temperature inside is kept at 68 to 72°F, so a layer helps. Standard strollers are allowed; oversized and jogging strollers are not. What is inside takes the exhibitions room by room.
Where it starts
There is no meeting point in the usual sense. The ticket is shown on a phone at the pavilion entrance, and entry is contactless. The guided-tour options meet nearby, and the listing gives the exact spot after booking. The nearest subway stops are WTC Cortlandt on the 1 and World Trade Center on the E; the getting there page lists the rest.
The options
Six options sit on one listing. The standard timed-entry ticket covers one person for one slot. Two bundles cover a family of four and a group of two adults and three children. The Early Access Museum Tour is 60 minutes before public opening with a museum guide, after which visitors stay on. The Guided Museum Tour is 60 minutes with a museum guide at a normal slot, again with time to stay on. The FLEX entry ticket allows arrival at any time on the chosen day rather than at one slot.
The audio guide is not part of any option. It is sold separately at the museum in nine languages, including ASL, and the audio guide page explains what it covers. Guided or self-guided compares the 60-minute museum tours with the audio guide and a visit without either.
Included
- Contactless timed entry to the museum for the chosen date and slot
- All permanent exhibitions: the Historical Exhibition, In Memoriam, Foundation Hall
- Free Wi-Fi inside the museum
- A museum guide for 60 minutes on the Early Access and Guided Museum Tour options
Not included
- The audio guide, sold separately at the museum
- One World Observatory
- A guide for the memorial plaza
- Food and drink
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits visitors who want the underground museum and are content to see the plaza on their own; the free memorial needs no ticket, and a free audio guide for it is on the Bloomberg Connects app. It suits families with a fixed date, since the bundles cover them on one booking, though the museum’s own guidance on under-10s applies to two galleries. Visiting with children sets that out.
A visitor who wants someone to explain the plaza, the Oculus and St. Paul’s Chapel is looking at one of the walks instead: the Ground Zero walk adds this same museum entry as an option. A visitor whose day cannot be tied to one slot has the FLEX option here.
What reviewers mention
Emma from the UK found it well organised and walked around the two pools before going in. Ralf from Germany mentions easy access without queueing and calls the museum “very tough”. Chris from the UK was on a second visit and says “allow 2hrs”. Darran, also from the UK, writes that the many artefacts give a better understanding of the day.
Sharon from the UK “cried my way around”. Veronica from Australia found it “very somber” and paid her respects. Christopher from the UK took the guided tour and mentions the personal memorabilia. Amanda from the US says the timed entry still felt packed.
In its favour
- The museum’s own ticket, with its own tours attached
- Early Access and FLEX options for visitors with a tight or open day
- Family bundles on the same listing
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Worth knowing
- Entry is for one slot; early or late arrival is not guaranteed
- No photography in the Historical Exhibition or In Memoriam
- The audio guide costs extra at the museum
- Reviewers describe an emotional visit; two galleries are not recommended for under-10s
The first slot of the morning and the last two hours before closing are quieter as a rule, and the museum runs special hours around the 11 September anniversary. The best time to visit page goes through the calendar.
Two alternatives
Guided walkNYC: Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial Tour w/ Museum Option
Walk, museum, views9/11 Memorial Tour with Museum and One World Entry Options
Frequently asked questions
Does the timed ticket include the memorial?
The memorial does not need a ticket. The pools, the names, the Survivor Tree and the Memorial Glade are free, daily 8 am to 8 pm, as published. The ticket covers the museum below the plaza. Memorial vs museum explains the difference.
What happens on arrival before the slot?
The museum asks visitors to arrive 15 minutes before the slot for security screening. Entry is not guaranteed early or late, and last admission is 60 minutes before closing. The bags and security page lists what can be brought in.
Is the audio guide included?
No. It is sold separately at the museum, in nine languages including ASL, with audio description for visitors with low vision. The audio guide page covers it.
Can the ticket be changed to another day?
Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. The museum also allows tickets to be exchanged up to 24 hours ahead, as published. The FLEX option removes the slot altogether and allows arrival at any time on the chosen day.