Visit Ground Zero

Visit Ground Zero

New York’s Ground Zero is the site of the former World Trade Center towers, which were destroyed by terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The 110-story twin towers were a popular tourist attraction before 9/11 – since then Ground Zero has been a place of solemn remembrance, even more since the opening of the World Trade Center Memorial in September, 2011, ten years after the devastating attacks.

Ground Zero

The World Trade Center site and the area surrounding it was first referred to as “ground zero” by New York hospital workers and police officers in the days following the attacks and soon became the commonly-used “nickname” for the location throughout the world. It took eight months to clear the site of debris; during that time, a platform was constructed that allowed the public visiting Ground Zero a view of the site and the cleanup work and the work that began on rebuilding at the World Trade Center site. Ten years after the attacks at New York’s Ground Zero, several new skyscrapers at the World Trade Center site have been completed and others are still under construction. The building that will be erected at One World Trade Center will be 1368 feet (417 m) high – the same height as the north tower of the original World Trade Center; an antenna on the top will bring the height to 1776 feet (541 m), a symbolic nod to 1776, the year of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

World Trade Center Memorial

The official World Trade Center memorial – known as the 9/11 Memorial – was dedicated on September 11, 2011 at a ceremony for the victims’ families. The 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial opened to the public the next day. Located at the site of the former World Trade Center complex, the Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial has two waterfalls and reflecting pools set at the “footprint” location of the twin towers. The 9/11 Memorial Museum is scheduled to open in September 2012.

To visit Ground Zero, you have to get a (free) pass in advance, which can be reserved online at the World Trade Center Memorial website, www.911memorial.org. When visiting the Ground Zero memorial, you can see the names of each of the nearly 3000 victims of the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93 inscribed on bronze panels lining the two reflecting pools.

The World Trade Center memorial at Ground Zero is a place for remembrance and reflection. It is open seven days a week. You can get to Ground Zero easily on public transportation – the World Trade Center memorial is near a number of subway and bus lines. Plan your visit to Ground Zero by going to the official website, where you’ll find exact opening and closing times and other helpful information.

Visit Ground Zero – A Unique Perspective

If you’re unable to get an advance pass to the World Trade Center Memorial or a visit to Ground Zero isn’t an option during your stay in New York, you can still “visit” there from the unique vantage point of a helicopter tour. Helicopter New York City helicopter tours offer 4 New York aerial tours, which last from 12-30 minutes, and each one includes the Ground Zero World Trade Center site in its itinerary. Flying over the Ground Zero memorial is a one-of-a-kind experience of this solemn location, and the only way to see the World Trade Center Memorial in this way is on a helicopter tour.