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Our Mission

The Memorial Mission

Remember and honor the thousands of innocent men, women, and children murdered by terrorists in the horrific attacks of February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001.

Respect this place made sacred through tragic loss.

Recognize the endurance of those who survived, the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and the compassion of all who supported us in our darkest hours.

May the lives remembered, the deeds recognized, and the spirit reawakened be eternal beacons, which reaffirm respect for life, strengthen our resolve to preserve freedom, and inspire an end to hatred, ignorance and intolerance.

The Memorial Museum Mission

The National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center bears solemn witness to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993. The Museum honors the nearly 3,000 victims of these attacks and all those who risked their lives to save others. It further recognizes the thousands who survived and all who demonstrated extraordinary compassion in the aftermath. Demonstrating the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and its impact on communities at the local, national, and international levels, the Museum attests to the triumph of human dignity over human depravity and affirms an unwavering commitment to the fundamental value of human life.

Our Leadership

Board of Directors

Chairman
Board Members
Honorary Chairman
Founding Chairman
Honorary Board Members
Honorary Trustees

Senior Leadership

From the Chairman

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum has continued to make great strides this year towards its mission of honoring the nearly 3,000 innocent people killed on September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993, preserving the crucial history of 9/11, and sharing stories of bravery and compassion with people of all backgrounds from across the globe.

The Memorial has welcomed more than 30 million visitors since opening in 2011, and over 8 million people have walked through the doors of the Museum since its opening in May 2014. Visitors have come from all 50 states and over 170 countries, demonstrating the global impact of 9/11 and the importance people from all over the world place on coming here to remember, reflect, and learn.

With the passage of yet another year since the day that changed us forever, 2016 marked the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Looking at what stands at the site today, it is easy to see the passage of time, and with each passing day, it becomes more and more important to preserve that history. The Memorial and Museum continue to lead the world in accomplishing this through meaningful memorialization and powerful exhibitions.

One immensely powerful new exhibit struck a chord with visitors this year: the installation of the iconic American flag raised by three New York City firefighters above the rubble of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Only a few short days before the 15th anniversary, the flag was returned to the World Trade Center and put on display in its new, permanent home at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

The raising of this American flag by our first responders made a statement to the entire world that our nation would endure, would recover and rebuild, and would always remember and honor all of those who were killed or risked their lives to save others. The donation of this flag to the Museum ensures that symbol of hope will be accessible for generations, inspiring all those who visit this site.

I'd like to thank Joe Daniels for everything he has done to make the Memorial and Museum a reality. He announced that he is stepping down after 11 years, and I wish him much success in his next endeavor. I'd also like to congratulate Alice Greenwald on her recent appointment to President & CEO. As the Director of the Museum, Alice was instrumental in creating the institution and she is uniquely qualified to sustain the Memorial and Museum's profound role in telling the story of 9/11. She has our full support as she builds on Joe's exceptional work, and we are confident that the institution will flourish under her stewardship.

I hope that in the coming year, you will join the tens of millions who have visited and supported this important institution as we continue to honor the solemn vow to never forget. With your support, we will preserve this sacred place for years to come.

Michael R. Bloomberg

Sincerely,
Michael R. Bloomberg
Michael R. Bloomberg signature

CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM

From the President

For many of us it seems that September 11, 2001, was just yesterday, but this year's milestone anniversary offered an occasion to reflect on how far we have come in 15 years. We marked this anniversary with a renewed commitment to remember and honor the nearly 3,000 people who were killed and to reaffirm this institution's position as the authoritative source on 9/11's continued global significance.

Our public programs continued to grow both in number and range of topics, exploring timely issues related to national security, foreign policy, public safety and journalism, as well as culture, literature and the arts from notable speakers like CIA Director John Brennan, New York Times best-selling author Peter Bergen, and Major League Baseball's Chief Baseball Officer and New York Yankees legend Joe Torre. We also launched the exhibition, "Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11," which demonstrates how 13 artists relied on their craft to understand an incomprehensible act.

Throughout the year, we recognized the continuing impact of terrorism on communities around the world and were honored to pay tribute and stand in solidarity with the victims of recent terror attacks including those in Nice, Orlando and Istanbul. The Memorial is and will always remain a place of remembrance for those we lost 15 years ago, but it also serves as a site of tremendous inspiration for what our community, our city, and our country overcame and rebuilt. We're proud to connect with other communities around the world and share the hope for a better future that was brought here in the months and years following 9/11.

To further support a spirit of resiliency and hope around the world, San Bernardino, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and France were selected to receive seedlings of the Survivor Tree as part of our annual distribution program. It is our hope that these seedlings will grow and inspire those communities impacted by tragedy just as the Survivor Tree has inspired New York as a symbol of strength and resilience.

Finally, this year in particular has held special significance for me as it was the final year I will serve as President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. For the past 11 years I have seen this site transformed into the beautiful and sacred site it is today and it has truly been the privilege of a lifetime to have held this role. The responsibility of leadership now rests on the shoulders of our longtime Museum Director, Alice M. Greenwald, who I know will ensure the mission of the organization with intelligence and compassion for years to come. This work has been as important to me personally as it has been professionally, and I will carry it with me always.

The milestones we achieved this year and throughout my time here have only been possible due to the support of caring individuals, like you, who share in our collective promise to honor and remember 9/11. With your ongoing support, this sacred ground will forever serve as a solemn place of remembrance and I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your continued commitment.

Joseph Daniels

Warm regards,
Joseph C. Daniels
Joseph C. Daniels' signature

PRESIDENT & CEO, NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM

commemorative HIGHLIGHTS

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum had a year full of public tributes, special events, memorable visits and more in 2016.
2016 year in review
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remembering

HISTORY

This year marked the 15-year anniversary of the 2001 attacks. Throughout the year, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum commemorated this milestone anniversary with the opening of its first major special exhibition, robust public programming, national education initiatives, tributes and the display of newly-acquired artifacts conveying powerful stories. We ask you to join us as we look back on a meaningful year.

Our Mission
Our Leadership
from the chairman from the CHAIRMAN
from the president from the PRESIDENT

commemorative HIGHLIGHTS

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum had a year full of public tributes, special events, memorable visits and more in 2016.
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The 9/11 Memorial held a tribute in September to honor FDNY Battalion Chief Michael Fahy who was killed in a Bronx house explosion. The iconic American flag three New York City firefighters raised above World Trade Center rubble on 9/11 that later disappeared was recovered and donated to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in September. Three recipients of the American Humane Hero Dog Awards, Kobuk, Gander and Mango, along with their handlers, visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum in October. In April, more than 5,000 participants gathered at Pier 26 for the fourth annual 9/11 Memorial 5K Run/Walk and Community Day. After the event, runners and walkers enjoyed activities including live music and performances as part of community day, which is open to the public and near the 9/11 Memorial. Former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, a 9/11 Memorial Board Member, and John Feal, a 9/11 responder and founder of the FealGood Foundation, filmed an awareness video inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum in February. The public service announcement provided information about health resources provided by the World Trade Center Health Program for 9/11 responders and rescue and recovery workers. The "Hope at Ground Zero" exhibition opened in May, featuring renowned photojournalist and filmmaker Andrea Booher's photos that document Federal Emergency Management Agency's role in the rescue and recovery effort after 9/11. Thousands of family members of 9/11 victims gathered on the 9/11 Memorial for the 15th anniversary commemoration ceremony. The 9/11 Memorial Museum's definitive, official companion book "No Day Shall Erase You: The Story of 9/11 as told at the National September 11 Memorial Museum," was released in August. Readers are taken on a journey through the museum, highlighting monumental and authentic artifacts that convey the emotional and historical significance of 9/11. On September 21, the New York Mets jersey that was worn by Mike Piazza when he hit a two-run home run for the win days after 9/11 went on display on the 15-year anniversary of the hit. The jersey will rotate between the 9/11 Memorial Museum, the Baseball Hall of Fame and Citi Field. After the Brussels terrorist attacks in March, red and yellow flowers – colors of the country’s flag – were placed at the Survivor Tree in solidarity and hope for peace throughout the world. 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels shared his personal perspective about the attack on the MEMO blog.
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by theNUMBERS

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum has welcomed millions of visitors from all 50 states and around the world.
memorial visitors

30 MILLION+

visitors to the Memorial since opening in September 2011

museum visitors

8 MILLION+

visitors to the Museum since opening in May 2014

members

11,100+

Museum Members

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TOURS & EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN 2016

museum
125,000+
PARTICIPANTS

in 7,000+
Museum Tours

memorial
50,000
PARTICIPANTS

in 2,000+
Memorial Tours

early access
2,700+
PARTICIPANTS

in 100+ Early
Access Tours

youth
630
PARTICIPANTS

in Youth &
Family Tours

classroom
6,000
STUDENTS ATTENDED

Classroom Workshops

anniversary
30,700
STUDENTS REACHED

during Anniversary in the Schools Program & Webinar

development
260+
TEACHERS ATTENDED

Professional Development Workshops

family
4,700+
PARTICIPANTS

in Youth & Family Programs

COLLECTIONS IN 2016

objects
1,670
OBJECTS COLLECTED
recordings
230
AUDIO RECORDINGS & ORAL HISTORIES COLLECTED
faces
5
PORTRAITS ADDED TO MEMORIAL EXHIBITION
photographs
160+
NEW OBJECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ON VIEW
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Contribute to the Collection

engaging VISITORS

The Museum's programs, events and experts help further conversations about the history of 9/11 and its continued impact.
lectern
490,000+
PUBLIC PROGRAM ATTENDEES
Kristen Shaughnessy, Maggie Haberman and Deepti Hajela

Kristen Shaughnessy, Maggie Haberman and Deepti Hajela

Covering Catastrophe: Reporting on 9/11

Mandy Patinkin, Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon

Mandy Patinkin, Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon

Homeland: TV in the Post-9/11 World

Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, Imam Khalid Latif and Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan

Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, Imam Khalid Latif and Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan

Pope Francis at Ground Zero: The Power of Coming Together

Joe Torre

Joe Torre

Baseball After 9/11

Upcoming Evening Programs

Signing steel

Visitors to the Museum are encouraged to leave a message on digital screens near a piece of World Trade Center steel. The tributes are stored in an archive.

208,000+

ENTRIES IN 2016
Signing Steel

Rendering
the Unthinkable:
Artists Respond to 9/11

Shocked by the events of 9/11, artists – like everyone – struggled to make sense of the unfathomable destruction and loss of innocent life witnessed that day. Fifteen years after the terrorist attacks, we return to that moment when the unimaginable became real through works in this exhibition by 13 New York City artists deeply affected by 9/11.

art gallery
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connecting with THE COMMUNITY

Throughout 2016, the Memorial & Museum continued to build and strengthen global relationships in support of its mission.
shoe

5,000+

Participants in the 4th Annual 9/11 Memorial 5K Run/Walk

award

1,800+

Veterans who visited the Museum at no charge during Salute to Service

pair

1,100+

Volunteers to date since September 11, 2011

400+ in 2016

OUR CITY. OUR STORY.

OUR CITY. OUR STORY. is a collection of stories of resilience and hope surrounding 9/11, as told today by New Yorkers.

Katie Couric
rewind
play pause
fast forward
Harold Buisson
rewind
play pause
fast forward
Robert De Niro
rewind
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Hear More Stories

THE SURVIVOR TREE

Each year, seedlings from the Survivor Tree are given to three communities that have endured tragedy. A total of 12 cities have been selected as part of the seedling distribution program since September 2013.

FAR ROCKAWAYS, QUEENS

Was torn and battered in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy.

PRESCOTT, ARIZONA

In honor of the 19 firefighting members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died on June 30, 2013. The fires in Arizona resulted in the highest number of American firefighters killed in a single incident since 9/11.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

In honor of the three people killed in the bombing at its marathon on April 15, 2013.

OSO, WASHINGTON

In memory of the 43 people killed in the March 22, 2014, mudslide in the small town, and in recognition of their resiliency.

GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI

To remember those who died in the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

FORT HOOD IN KILLEEN, TEXAS

In honor of the 16 victims and survivors of the shootings on November 5, 2009, and April 2, 2014, and in acknowledgement of the continued sacrifice of the men and women who serve and their families.

NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT

In memory of the 20 school children and six adults who were killed on Dec. 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

JOPLIN, MISSOURI

In memory of the more than 150 people killed and more than 1,000 injured by a tornado in Joplin on May 22, 2011. The seedling for Joplin will be planted at Mercy Hospital Joplin which was in the direct path of the tornado.

MADRID, SPAIN

In memory of the 2004 coordinated terror bombings against the Cercanías commuter train system of Madrid that killed 190 people and wounded 1,800. The actual planting of the tree is expected to take place at the Embassy of Spain in Washington, D.C. Madrid is the first international recipient in the program.

SAN BERNADINO, CALIFORNIA

In memory of the 14 people killed in a shooting on Dec. 2, 2015, in San Bernardino, Calif.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

In memory of the 49 lives claimed in an Orlando nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016.

PARIS, FRANCE

In memory of the 130 people killed in the coordinated terror shootings and bombings in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.

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sacrifice and SURVIVAL

Explore the Registries, a living historical record of survival, recovery and commemoration.
fireman hat

13,000+

Rescue and Recovery Worker Profiles

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cards

1,000+

Witness and Survivor Profiles

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map

1,100+

9/11 Memorial Locations

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thank YOU

Without your support, this successful year would not have been possible. Thank you to all of our visitors and donors to the Memorial & Museum.
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