Booking choice: The All Access 9/11 Experience, from $109 per person. Check dates Tour details
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is one institution with two very different spaces. The Memorial is the plaza you walk through at street level; the Museum lies underneath it, down at the foundations of the towers.
Knowing which is which saves money and time, and helps you decide whether a tour is worth it for you.
The quick answer
The 9/11 Memorial is the free outdoor plaza with the two reflecting pools and the names, open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The 9/11 Museum is the ticketed museum beneath it ($36 for adults), open Wednesday to Monday. Allow 30 to 60 minutes for the Memorial and two to three hours for the Museum.
What is the difference between the 9/11 Memorial and the Museum?
The Memorial is the free outdoor plaza with the reflecting pools; the Museum is the paid, underground museum that tells the story of the attacks.
| 9/11 Memorial | 9/11 Museum | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Street level, open-air plaza | Below the plaza, at bedrock |
| Price | Free | $36 adult |
| Hours | Daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Wed to Mon, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Time needed | 30 to 60 minutes | 2 to 3 hours |
| Ticket | None | Timed entry |
Want both, with a guide for the plaza? Check dates for the All Access day.
Check dates for the All Access 9/11 ExperienceIs the 9/11 Memorial free?
Yes, completely: there is no ticket, no reservation and no charge to walk the plaza and see the pools.
It opens every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The only day it works differently is the anniversary, when the plaza is reserved for victims' families during the morning ceremony and reopens to the public in the evening.
What do you see at the Memorial?
Two pools of nearly an acre each in the towers' footprints, 2,983 names in bronze, hundreds of oak trees and the Survivor Tree.
The water falls 30 feet and then a further 20 feet into a central void. The names include the six people killed in the 1993 bombing and are grouped so that colleagues, friends and flight crews sit together. Each morning a white rose is placed at the names of those whose birthday it is. Near the pools, the Memorial Glade honors rescue and recovery workers who later fell ill or died.
What is inside the 9/11 Museum?
Artifacts, photographs and testimony that tell the story of the attacks, the victims and the recovery, set among the remains of the towers' foundations.
You walk down past the Survivors' Stairs and the steel tridents into Foundation Hall, with the original slurry wall and the Last Column. The historical exhibition follows the day minute by minute; a memorial exhibition gives a portrait of each person who died. Photography is not allowed in the historical exhibition.
Visiting on your own? The Museum's official timed ticket, with free cancellation.
Explore the official 9/11 Museum ticket Tour detailsCan you see the 9/11 Memorial without a tour?
Yes. You can walk onto the plaza at any time it is open; a tour is optional.
What a guide adds is context: St. Paul's Chapel, the FDNY Memorial Wall, the meaning behind the design, and, on some walks, a personal account of the day. See the best Ground Zero tours for which one suits you.
Is the 9/11 Museum worth paying for?
For most adults and teenagers, yes: it is where you understand what happened, and guests rate it 4.7 from over 6,700 reviews.
It is also intense. Guests say they needed time to reflect afterwards, and the Museum advises that its historical exhibition may not suit children under 10.
How much time should you allow for each?
Thirty minutes to an hour for the Memorial, two to three hours for the Museum.
The Museum suggests at least 45 to 90 minutes, but guests regularly spend longer. Read how long the 9/11 Museum takes for a full plan.
If you only have an hour, which should you choose?
The Memorial: it is free, needs no booking, and an hour is enough to walk around both pools.
With half a day, add the Museum. With a full morning, a guided walk followed by the Museum and the Observatory covers the whole site.
Have half a day? The All Access day combines the walk, the Museum and the view.
Check dates for the All Access 9/11 ExperienceFrequently asked questions
Do you need tickets for the 9/11 Memorial?
No. The outdoor Memorial is free and open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. without a ticket.
Is the 9/11 Museum the same as the Memorial?
No. They belong to the same institution, but the Museum is a separate, ticketed space beneath the Memorial plaza.
Is the Memorial open at night?
It closes at 8 p.m. On the evening of September 11 the plaza reopens to the public after the families' ceremony.
Ready to book
Choose your visit
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
All Access 9/11: Ground Zero Tour, Museum & Observatory
- Guided Ground Zero walk: the Oculus, FDNY Memorial Wall, Survivor Tree and the Memorial pools
- A local guide who shares a personal connection to 9/11
- Skip-the-line timed entry to the 9/11 Museum (self-guided; a docent-led VIP option is available)
9/11 Memorial Museum Admission Ticket
- Timed admission to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, sold by the museum itself
- Stay as long as you like once inside; no re-entry after you leave
- Guided tour and audio guide available as paid extras
9/11 Memorial & Ground Zero Walking Tour
- Guided walk of Ground Zero with a guide who has a personal connection to 9/11
- St. Paul's Chapel (outside), FDNY Memorial Wall and Ten House, Survivor Tree, Memorial pools
- Small group: a maximum of 15 travelers
