Ways to mark September 11 in NYC

The 9/11 Memorial Museum, located where the Twin Towers once stood, explores the history of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The museum houses artifacts, historical records, firefighting equipment and a memorial exhibition. 

While it's closed to visitors on September 11, it's open most days during the rest of the week. Adult general admission costs $36. Every Wednesday afternoon at 1pm, a bagpipe tribute honors those who died on 9/11 as well as those who are sick or who have died from exposure to hazards and toxins in the aftermath of 9/11. Bagpipers play near the Last Column and the 9/11 Memorial Glade.

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Bryant Park will mark the anniversary with a stirring visual tribute.

On Friday, September 11, the park’s lawn will be filled with 2,753 empty chairs, one for each person killed at the World Trade Center. All of them will face south, toward the site where the Twin Towers once stood. The installation will be open from 8am to 4pm. Visitors can walk among the chairs, write notes of remembrance and place carnations on the empty seats. Then, a free memorial concert from the American Symphony Orchestra will be held on the lawn from 7 to 8:15pm as part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances series.

No ticket or reservation is required for the concert. Just bring a blanket, find a place on the lawn and settle in for the performance. A livestream will also be available for anyone unable to attend in person.

Visit The New York City Fire Museum to see the first permanent memorial to the 343 members of the FDNY who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The tribute includes a memorial with pictures of the firefighters lost in the attacks, cases displaying items recovered from the Ground Zero recovery effort and a wall-size timeline chronicling that day’s tragic events.

The museum itself—at 278 Spring Street—was an active firehouse from 1904 to 1959. Tickets range from $3 to $15, depending on circumstances.