9/11 Memorial & Museum
Two reflecting pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers, and a museum three floors beneath them. The plaza is free and open to anyone; the museum asks for time and attention as much as a ticket.
Checked 2 November 2026. Prices, opening hours and transport details were verified against official sources. Things change — confirm before you book. How we check.
A memorial first, a museum second
The plaza is the part most people see, and for many visitors it is enough. Two square pools sit in the towers' footprints, water falling into a void, with bronze panels carrying the names of those killed in the attacks of 11 September 2001 and the 1993 bombing.
The museum is a different kind of place: it goes underground, into the foundations and the retaining walls, and asks you to move through the story in sequence. Allow more time than you think you need and do not book it just before something else.
Because the site is active and the museum is below ground, everything is more scheduled than at a normal attraction. The plaza needs no ticket and can be walked through between other things; the museum needs a timed ticket, a bag check and a clear hour and a half.
What the site gives you
This is not a stop to tick off between two others. These are the three parts worth planning around.
The plaza, which costs nothing
The twin pools and the names around them are free, open daily and accessible to anyone. Many visitors find the plaza more affecting than the museum, and it needs no preparation at all.
The museum underground
The collection is built around the surviving structure of the towers, the slurry wall and the last column, alongside personal objects and recordings. It is carefully made and genuinely difficult, which is the point.
The context for Lower Manhattan
One World Trade Center rises directly above, the harbour is a few minutes away and the Statue of Liberty ferry leaves from Battery Park. Seeing the site first makes the rest of the area read differently.
Tickets, timed entry and the plaza
The plaza and the museum are two separate visits with two separate rules.
- The memorial plaza needs no ticket and no booking. Walk in any day between 08:00 and 20:00.
- Book a timed museum ticket in advance on the official site. Prices run from $24 to $36 depending on the date.
- Pick a slot with nothing booked afterwards. The route through the museum takes 45–90 minutes by official guidance and longer if you read everything.
- Allow time for security screening at the museum entrance. Large bags are not permitted, so travel light.
- Check the closing day: the museum is closed most Tuesdays, though a few select Tuesdays open. Do not assume it runs seven days.
9/11 Memorial & Museum — official tickets
Timed museum admission, group tickets and the free New York resident window are handled by the memorial itself. The plaza needs no ticket at all, so there is nothing to buy for it.
Plan your visit on 911memorial.orgOfficial site. We take no commission on this link.
What most visitors get wrong
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01
Do not buy a plaza ticket
The plaza is free and needs nothing. Anyone selling access to the memorial itself is selling something that does not exist.
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02
Go early or late
The plaza is calmest before 10:00 and after 18:00. The museum is quietest in its first hour and after 16:00, when school groups have gone.
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03
Treat it as a memorial
The pools are active memorials with names around them, not park features. Keep voices low, do not sit on the panels and give other visitors room.
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04
Check the free window properly
New York residents can visit free on Sundays 16:00–19:00 with ID, but the terms are the museum's to change. Check before you plan an evening around it.
Nearby and worth your time
One World Observatory
The view from the top of the tower above the site. The natural complement to the museum.
Statue of Liberty
The ferry leaves from Battery Park, fifteen minutes on foot from the memorial.
Free things to do in NYC
The memorial plaza is free; here are eleven more free ideas for the same trip.
9/11 Memorial questions
Is the 9/11 Memorial free?
Yes. The memorial plaza is free and needs no ticket — it is open daily 08:00–20:00. The museum charges admission, from $24 depending on the date.
Do I need to book the museum in advance?
Advance timed tickets are required for the museum. Late arrivals are usually admitted but may queue, so pick a slot you can realistically reach.
How much time should I allow?
Official guidance is 45–90 minutes for the museum and 20–30 minutes for the plaza. Most visitors spend closer to two hours across both, and the museum is three floors underground, so it takes longer than it looks.
Is the museum suitable for children?
The museum deals directly with the attacks and their aftermath, and some galleries are difficult viewing for younger children. The plaza is open to all ages and is the gentler introduction to the site.
Is there a free day for New Yorkers?
Yes — New York residents can visit the museum free on Sundays 16:00–19:00 with proof of residence. The terms are set by the museum, so check its site before relying on the window.