Empty Sky: The Other 9/11 Memorial in New York
Visit a striking memorial dedicated to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the western shore of the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey.
What is Empty Sky in New York?
- In New York, you’ve likely seen the striking 9/11 Memorial built where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood, in the heart of the Financial District. But there’s another equally powerful memorial across the river in New Jersey.
- Empty Sky is a memorial located south of Jersey City in Liberty State Park. Designed by American architects Jessica Jamroz and Frederic Schwartz, it was built by the State of New Jersey on September 11, 2011 to honor the 749 state residents who died in the attacks.
What does the Empty Sky memorial represent?
- Empty Sky consists of two slender walls, each 9 m (30 ft) high, facing each other across 63.4 m (208 ft)—the exact width of the Twin Towers’ sides. The two walls represent the towers in miniature, as if laid on their side. The walls are inscribed with the names of all 749 victims.
- At the memorial’s west entrance, you’ll also see metal debris from the original Twin Towers.
- The memorial’s name comes from Bruce Springsteen’s song “Empty Sky”—the legendary musician is from New Jersey.
- Standing between the walls is a striking experience: you look up and see empty sky above Manhattan. The Twin Towers are gone.
How to get to the Empty Sky memorial
To reach Empty Sky, take the Liberty Landing Ferry from the World Financial Center. Get off at Warren Pier in Jersey City, then board the ferry to Liberty Landing Marina. Ferries depart every 30 minutes.
