Getting There
Ride the 1 to WTC-Cortlandt. This station was seriously damaged by the September 11 attacks and was thus rebuilt. The entire station has a marble mural installed as a work of station art. This station is wheelchair accessible.
Ride the A/C/E, 2/3, or R/W trains to Chambers Street-World Trade Center/Park Place/Cortlandt Street. This complex is well-known for a glass door and accessible ramp that survived the collapse of the Twin Towers. Note that this station is only accessible to wheelchairs for E, R, and W train riders. All other parts of the station is only accessible by stairs. If riding the Seventh Avenue line, do not confuse "Chambers Street" (an unrelated station with transfer between the 1, 2, and 3 trains) with "Park Place".
Ride the 2/3/4/5/A/C/E/J/Z trains to Fulton Street for accessible access. The World Trade Center complex has direct access via a tunnel from Fulton Street station and Fulton Center. If travelling with strollers or a wheelchair, use this station then access the World Trade Center either through the passageway or above ground.
Use the PATH service if traveling from New Jersey. PATH trains headed to World Trade Center platform in the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, which can be used to directly access the World Trade Center complex. The Newark-World Trade Center and Hoboken-World Trade Center trains stop at the complex.
Ride the New York Waterway Ferry. The ferry stops at Staten Island, Midtown Manhattan, New Jersey, and Queens. The ferry terminals are only a few blocks from the actual WTC complex.
Use the M5, M9, M20, M22, and M103 buses. These buses all stop near the WTC complex, with the M9 stopping outside of One World Trade Center and the M5 stopping outside of Two and Four World Trade Center.
Take a taxi or rideshare. These vehicles commonly drop off outside of Seven World Trade Center and Four World Trade Center. Ridesharing or taking a taxi can be expensive, though, so public transport is a better option.
Park in one of the World Trade Center's parking garages. Because of security concerns, your vehicle may be searched as you approach the complex for parking. Also, parking can be a bit hectic in New York City, so it is preferable to use public transit where possible.
Visiting the Memorial
Plan to spend at least 2 hours at the museum and memorial. Visit the grounds of the memorial for free any day of the week between 7:30 A.M. and 9 P.M., and check out the museum with a ticket between 9 A.M. and 8 P.M. When you purchase a ticket to the museum, there is a time printed on the ticket that will tell you when you can be admitted to the museum. General admission the museum is $24 for adults, and there are discounts available for students, senior citizens, children, and veterans. You can buy tickets online at https://www.911memorial.org/visit-museum-1 or at the museum. On Tuesdays, the museum offers free admission after 5 P.M. on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re planning to buy tickets at the museum, remember that entrance to the museum is prohibited starting 2 hours before the closing time of the museum.
Download the 9/11 Audio App to guide you through the museum. This free app includes recordings, explanations, and facts about the events of 9/11, the construction of the museum, and much more. You can listen to individual explanations based on your location, or choose to take a “guided” tour through the app. The app is free for anyone to use and can be downloaded onto a smartphone through the App Store or Google Play Store. If English isn’t your native language, the app is also available in American Sign Language, Chinese (Mandarin Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum to see artifacts and recordings of the event. The museum is located at the center of the World Trade Center and includes artifacts, testimony, and exhibits that explore the events and implications of 9/11. It commemorates the lives of each individual who died in the attacks in 2001 and 1993, as well as the resilience of the U.S. as a whole. The museum also has rotating exhibits, such as Sports after 9/11, FEMA Photographs of 9/11, and Artist’s Responses to 9/11.
Walk through the Memorial Plaza to enjoy a peaceful moment. If you don’t want to purchase a ticket, you can visit the Memorial Plaza any time from 7:30 A.M. to 9 P.M. In the plaza, you’ll find trees from areas affected by the attacks on 9/11, including Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. There are benches and tables throughout the plaza where you can rest. In the plaza, look for the Survivor Tree, which was found in October 2001 in the rubble of the collapsed towers. After extensive rehabilitation, the tree was returned to the Plaza in 2010 to serve as a reminder of the resilience exhibited by all those who were affected by the attacks.
Pay respect to the victims at the Memorial Pools. The twin Pools are located in the Memorial Plaza, and have the names of the victims etched into the stone around them. This area, which is also free to enter, has become a gathering place for those who want to remember the events and the victims. At the North Pool, you will find the names of the victims from the North Tower, Flight 11, and the 1993 World Trade Center Bombings. Around the South Pool are the names of the victims from the South Tower, Flight 175, Flight 93, Flight 77, the Pentagon, and the first responders who perished while working to rescue others.
Summiting One World Trade Center
Purchase tickets online or at the concourse level of the tower. You can access 1WTC from the Oculus or from above ground near the plaza. 1WTC is the tallest building in the United States and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
Clear security. Before you can summit the top you must clear security. You can expect to wait in lines for a while, especially during the tourist season.
Walk through the concourse level exhibits. On the lower floors, there are exhibits that showcase a live stream of various cities from around the world and an excavated section of the bedrock under most of New York City.
Step into the elevators to make your way to the top. Installed by ThyssenKrupp shortly after topping off, the elevators at 1WTC are some of the fastest in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, ascending almost 1,200 feet (370 m) from C to 102 in under 45 seconds. The first 20 floors, floors 91-99, and floors 103-104 are mechanical floors. The roof is designated as floor 110 as a symbolic reference to the 110 floors of the original World Trade Center.
Step out to get a preview of New York City life. After a few minutes of a video showing the lives and experiences of New York City, the blinds will open and make a dramatic reveal of the New York City skyline. If you are traveling with someone in a wheelchair, ask an employee for assistance. They can help wheelchair users use the elevators between 100, 101, and 102.
Visit the restaurant on floor 101. There is dining at the observatory, however you may need to have a reservation to get a seat. There is also a bakery if you just want a quick snack.
Get some souvenirs and enjoy the views on floor 100. The 100th floor has a 360 observatory with views over New York's skyline. On very clear days, you can see into New Jersey or even as far as Pennsylvania! The experience can be well worth the wait.
Proceed down the elevators to make your way down. When you are satisfied with your experiences in the World Trade Center, proceed down the elevators to exit out of the tower. Walk through the turnstiles and either go up the escalator to return to street level or walk out into the Oculus to make your way back by train.
Ensuring a Positive Visit
Maintain a respectful and somber attitude during your visit. It’s important to remember that the events that took place in these areas can be very emotional for some people. Speak in a quiet tone, avoid taking silly pictures of yourself or others, and always be respectful of those who are visiting the museum and memorial. Due to the graphic nature of some of the exhibits and images, some individuals may become upset. If you or someone in your group becomes overwhelmed, find a quiet place to regroup, like a less intense exhibit or outside in the memorial plaza.
Take pictures and video only where photography is allowed. In most areas of the memorial plaza and at the waterfall, personal photography is allowed. However, inside of the museum, there are areas where photography is off limits. Be sure to pay attention to signs, and turn off the flash function when necessary to avoid disrupting others or harming the artifacts. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re allowed to take a picture in a certain area, look for an employee who can answer your question. It’s better to ask first to make sure.
Prepare to go through security before entering the memorial and museum or 1WTC. Try to pack light for your trip, as bags larger than 17 by 8 inches (43 by 20 cm) will not be permitted into the memorial or museum. To enter the museum, you and your bag will have to pass through a metal detector for safety purposes. At the museum, there are lockers available for large bags. Lockers are not available at the memorial or at 1WTC, so remember to carry only a small bag.
Visit a restroom near the memorial before entering. The memorial plaza and waterfalls don’t have a public restroom for visitors. The closest public restrooms are located at Wagner Park or Battery Park, so make a stop there before you go to the memorial. In the museum, there are restrooms available to visitors who have an admission ticket. During weekdays between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M., you can use the public restroom at Federal Hall on Wall Street.
Exit the museum when you’ve finished visiting all of the exhibits. The museum has strict rules about re-entry. Once you leave the museum, you can’t re-enter with your ticket. Before you leave, check the museum map to make sure you visited all of the exhibits that you wanted to see, and didn’t miss anything that you were interested in. If you’ve scheduled a tour that includes the price of museum admission, plan to visit the museum after the tour to give yourself enough time to see everything you would like to see.
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