9/11 Memorial & Museum

About

The memorial and museum sit at 180 Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan, on the site of the original World Trade Center towers. Two reflecting pools stand in the footprints of the Twin Towers, and the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks are cut into the bronze parapets around each pool.

Below the plaza, the museum holds artifacts, recorded testimonies, and a chronological account of the day, including pieces of the original steel structure and items recovered from the site. The official site suggests planning 45 to 90 minutes for a museum visit, though the historical exhibition alone can take longer to move through.

The Memorial plaza is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Museum is open Wednesday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with last entry at 5:30 p.m. (2026 hours). Free admission is offered Monday evenings from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in limited quantities, released each Monday at 7 a.m. A cafe on the atrium terrace serves visitors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Oak trees are planted in rows across the plaza, and the two pools are set with cascading waterfalls that run along all four sides of each footprint. Tickets are timed, and multiple travel sites note that same-day tickets often sell out, so booking a day or more ahead is worth doing.

The site sits a few blocks from Fulton Center, a fully accessible subway hub serving multiple lines, which makes the museum easy to reach without a car from most parts of the city.

Accessibility

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum describes its single entrance and all public areas, including the outdoor memorial pools, as wheelchair accessible, and independent wheelchair-user accounts back this up.

There's no on-site parking lot. An accessible pick-up and drop-off point sits on the west side of Greenwich Street just south of Albany Street, and Access-A-Ride can drop off at Cortlandt and Greenwich. Drivers can use a paid garage nearby, such as those on Vesey, Barclay, or Washington Street, and should budget a few extra minutes to walk in.

The single museum entrance is step-free. Inside, elevators run wherever there are stairs, and a wide ramp leads from the Concourse Lobby down toward the exhibition level. Ramps to the North and South Tower excavation areas are narrower and can get congested at busy times, so an early time slot helps. Plaza and museum floors are paved throughout.

Every public restroom has a wheelchair-accessible stall. Standard manual wheelchairs and rolling walkers are free at the coat check, first come, first served; ticketed tour participants can reserve one ahead by emailing [email protected]. The museum also offers audio description for blind and low-vision visitors, open captioning on exhibit media, assistive-listening induction loops for hearing aids and cochlear implants, and sign language interpretation for programs booked two to three weeks ahead.

Braille and large-format maps are available on request at the Information Desk, and staff can help with the interactive touchscreen exhibits. The museum does not publish anything about sensory-friendly hours, quiet rooms, or reduced lighting, so if crowd noise or dim galleries are a concern, email the Access team before you go.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

Visitor reviews

Rated 5 out of 5 from 1 visitor review.

This was a beautiful place to visit, and not too bad in a wheelchair.

More accessible places in New York

• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City)
• Whitney Museum of American Art (New York City)
• Top of the Rock (New York City)
• Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island (New York City)
• Intrepid Museum (New York City)
• Bronx Zoo (New York City)

Photo credits

• Reflecting pool with cascading water at the National September 11 Memorial with skyscrapers behind it.: Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• Aerial view of the National September 11 Memorial twin reflecting pools framed by trees and museum pavilion.: 颐园居, CC BY 4.0 (source)
• The angular glass and metal pavilion entrance to the National September 11 Memorial Museum surrounded by a paved plaza.: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 (source)