How to attend the September 11 ceremony in New York?

A closed ceremony…

• Note: the ceremony at the World Trade Center Memorial on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks is reserved for victims’ families only. The memorial and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum are closed to the public. The memorial reopens at 3 pm.
• I tried to attend the ceremony in September 2017, but security barriers blocked all access starting from the World Trade Center subway station and along every street leading to the site.
• The ceremony on September 11, 2026 will be especially significant: it marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Public access will be even more restricted.

…but you can still pay your respects

If you want to be at the site on September 11, you have several options:

• Arrive early, before 10 am, and you can reach the southeast corner of the memorial. Enter via Liberty Street or Greenwich Street. You won’t reach the memorial itself, but you’ll be as close as possible. You’ll see families passing through, some carrying photos or signs with the names of those lost. There’s no noise or shouting, just a quiet emotion that time doesn’t erase.
• At the corner of Liberty Street and Greenwich Street, you can also witness ceremonies held by firefighters from Engine Company 10, the firehouse closest to the World Trade Center. Along Greenwich Street, a mural honors the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001.
• When I visited, Engine Company 10 opened to the public for a few hours. Arrive early—this is a tribute, not a tourist visit. Access can close at any time.
• Just steps from Engine 10, on Greenwich Street, try to reach Liberty Park, which opened in 2016 overlooking the memorial. From the platform, you can see the ceremony in the distance through the trees, and most importantly, you’ll hear the bell clearly as it marks each moment of September 11, 2001.
• Wherever you are around the memorial, you’ll hear the bell ring six times: at 8:46 am when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower, at 9:03 am when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower, at 9:37 am when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, at 9:59 am when the South Tower collapsed, at 10:03 am when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake control of the plane, and at 10:28 am when the North Tower collapsed.

What to see after the ceremony

• Around 3 pm, when the ceremony ends, the memorial reopens to the public. You’ll find it covered with flowers as it is no other time of year, along with American flags and messages left by families. It’s a powerful moment.
• In the evening, you can see the two beams of light that illuminate New York’s sky and recreate the silhouette of the Twin Towers. Learn more in this article about the Tribute in Light.

September 11 in photos