Three years ago we went as a family to the 9/11 memorial which at the time was still surrounded by a fence. The museum had not yet opened. This year in June, when my mother was visiting from Germany, I went with her to the museum. I did not realize before entering that the museum extends underground around the reflecting pools and exposes the foundations of the Twin Towers as well as the bathtub wall.
The museum provides a striking contrast between its cavernous underground space and the intentionally tight and crowded main exhibition area. The latter powerfully evokes the state of confusion that’s one of my lasting memories for from that day. I was in a mid-town office and even that far up there was a sense of chaos as everyone left their buildings and spilled into the streets.
Another element of the museum that is well executed is a timeline of events. It covers a lot of history prior to the attack but importantly does not stop right after 9/11 and instead includes anti-terrorism efforts and other echoes since. As the historical distance to the event grows we need to develop a more dispassionate view of our political and military reactions.
So: if you have not done so already, I highly recommend visiting the September 11 Museum.
