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Madison Hogge
Professor Howard
ENG 2010
28 October, 2015
2nd Larger Essay: Exploratory Research Paper: The 9/11 Memorial and Museum

September 11, 2001 changed the United States of America as a country forever and will
always carry a sorrowful emotion in the hearts of its people. For years America has tried to
regain and rebuild the strength of its people and their international unrest. Slowly, but surely
progress has been seen and a small portion of justice has been felt when New York City built the
9/11 Memorial on Ground Zero. The Memorial is a sure way to give knowledge to the world of
what happened and to help heal the hearts of the victims loved ones. Although there has been
much debate about whether the Memorial should be open to the public or reserved for the
victims families because of its sacredness. This essay is about why the Memorial revolves
around both its tourism and its unforgotten citizens who were involved in the horrifying attacks
on that day.
The planning and building of the Memorial has taken a lot of time and effort. The actual
construction started in 2006 and was finished in time for the 10 year anniversary in 2011. Three
months after its opening, the memorial had been visited by over a million people (National
September 11). However, the political and planning aspect has been a battle for Ground Zero.
At the beginning New York didnt really know what they were going to do, build, or even name

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the space. The government gave New York $8 billion dollars for whatever they were going to do
(Greenspan). They knew they wanted to design a special place for people to come to mourn and
remember. After years of debate and voices of the public heard, they decided to build the 9/11
Memorial.
The Memorial itself includes a Plaza (which are the pools where the towers stood).
The Memorials twin reflecting pools are each nearly an acre in size and feature
the largest manmade waterfalls in the North America. The pools sit within the footprints
where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of every person who died in the 2001 and
1993 attacks are inscribed into bronze panels edging the Memorial pools, a powerful
reminder of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil and
the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history (About The
Memorial).
The Memorial also includes a Museum.
The National September 11 Memorial Museum serves as the countrys principal
institution for examining the implications of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact
of those events and exploring the continuing significance of September 11, 2001. The
Museums 110,000 square feet of exhibition space is located within the archaeological
heart of the World Trade Center sitetelling the story of 9/11 through multimedia
displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts
(About The Museum).

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There are a lot of symbolic details that went into the planning and implementation of this
Memorial. For example, The Survivor Tree is a tree that survived the attacks and all the debris
from the towers right in the middle of Ground Zero.
The tree was discovered at Ground Zero severely damaged, with snapped roots
and burned and broken branches. The tree was removed from the rubble and placed in the
care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. After its recovery and
rehabilitation, the tree was returned to the Memorial in 2010. New, smooth limbs
extended from the gnarled stumps, creating a visible demarcation between the trees past
and present. Today, the tree stands as a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth
(The Survivor Tree).
They decided to use the same kind of tree as The Survivor Tree to keep its symbolism
through the grounds. Swamp white oaks were picked because of their durability and leaf color.
The trees can grow to reach heights as tall as 60 feet in conditions similar to those on the plaza.
The trees will never be identical, growing at different heights and changing leaves at different
times, a physical reminder that they are living individuals (Selecting Trees). It is amazing that
they were able to grow and harvest these trees and specifically choose them. That detail is very
symbolic for the Memorial.
When the Memorial was being built and when it first opened, there was only one 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

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darkest hours (Mission Statements). This has been the goal of the memorial from the
beginning and is supposed to be respected at all times while on Ground Zero. However, many
Americans have forgotten this meaning.
The hallowed grounds have been turned into a tourist destination and an amusement park.
Many of the victims families are outraged. Many visitors of this somber site have been using the
water from the waterfall to cool themselves off, place backpacks and spill drinks on the names of
the victims, sit on the names of the victims, and many were smiling and taking pictures (Stone,
2012). These are all very offensive and very disrespectful actions. Although visitors are directed
to the memorial's rules of decorum when they reserve their passes, some have been booted for
boorish behavior (Stone, 2012). Many families want more security to enforce the respect and
want more to be done about the issues.
Another reason many of the victims families are upset is because of the
commercialism that is associated with the Memorial and Museum. The New York City-based
museum costs $24 to enter, and the gift shop offers pricey coffee mugs, T-shirts, key chains and
stuffed animals. A separate part of the museum also houses some 8,000 unidentified human
remains from the terrorist attacks (Benitez, 2014). They are offended that there is a cost to get
into a cemetery and pay their respects to those who died, and those they lost. Also, they take
offense that there is a gift shop that advertises these victims and their loved ones since many
families believe their victims remains could possibly be in that repository.
However, the Memorial thrives on its tourism and has no intentions to be offensive or
vulgar. The museum receives no government funding and relies on private fundraising, gracious
donations and revenue from ticketing and carefully selected keepsake items for retail (Benitez,

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2014). It also flourishes from the millions of people that have visited from around the world. It
has become and international phenomenon. . Its a calming feeling that people of different
cultures can come to America and feel such remorse for something so tragic that didnt even
happen to them. It is a humbling opportunity to share Americas story with the world and to
receive the support from other countries. It just goes to show that love and tragedy is felt
everywhere.
The Memorial is a specific place set aside from everywhere else that allows families to
reflect and remember their loved ones who were lost. Seeing people from all over coming
together to the Memorial gives them an unspoken support and lets them know that people care on
a deeper level, especially after how America felt so attacked. It is also a great freedom to gain
more knowledge about what happened on that tragic day and spread that awareness around the
world.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum has ongoing debates about whether it should be
secluded just for the families of the victims or if it should stay the way it is and be open to the
public and welcome tourism. Both sides have positive and negative aspects, but clearly this
would be a hard decision to side with because of the heavy emotion it carries. America just needs
to remember,
The Memorial and Memorial Museum are places of solemn reflection dedicated
to honoring and remembering the tragic events and the overwhelming loss of innocent
life that occurred at this location and others on September 11, 2001 and February 26,
1993. Given the unique nature of the site and the tragedy that occurred here, proper
decorum, personal behavior, and conduct is required from all visitors at all times in order

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to provide the entire visiting public with respect, and an equal opportunity to have an
enriching and meaningful experience (Visitor Rules and Regulations).

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Works Cited
"About the Memorial." National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://www.911memorial.org/about-memorial
"About the Museum." National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://www.911memorial.org/about-museum
Benitez, Gio. "Why Victims' Families Are Furious About 9/11 Memorial Museum." ABC News. ABC
News Network, 19 May 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2015. http://abcnews.go.com/US/victims-familiesfurious-911-memorial-museum/story?id=23774869
Greenspan, Elizabeth. Battle for Ground Zero: Inside the Political Struggle to Rebuild the World Trade
Center. 2013. Print.
"Mission Statements." National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://www.911memorial.org/mission-statements-0
"National September 11 Memorial & Museum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_September_11_Memorial_%26_Museum
"Selecting Trees." National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://www.911memorial.org/selecting-trees
Stone, Andrea. "9/11 Memorial Treated Like 'Disney Attraction'" The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/911-memorial-treated-like_n_1855559.html

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"The Survivor Tree." National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://www.911memorial.org/survivor-tree
"Visitor Rules and Regulations." National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
https://www.911memorial.org/visitor-rules-and-regulations