A Year in Review
A Look Back at 2017
At the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the year was filled with meaningful tributes, special events, memorable visits and more.
The 24th anniversary of the first attack on the World Trade Center was commemorated on Feb. 26 with a solemn ceremony on the 9/11 Memorial plaza, recognizing the six people killed and the more than 1,000 injured.
More than 3,000 family members of 9/11 victims were joined by state and city leaders for the 16th anniversary commemoration on the 9/11 Memorial plaza.
U.S. Army veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor John Seelie visited the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in May to pay his respects. The 94-year-old veteran, assigned to the Schofield Barracks in Honolulu on Dec. 7, 1941, was greeted by an honor guard that included first responders and members of the Port Authority Police Department, the New York City Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Sadly, Seelie died a few months later on Aug. 11, 2017.
On May 30, more than 600 people gathered by the Last Column in Foundation Hall to recognize the 15th anniversary of the completion of rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. The ceremony coincided with the announcement of a permanent tribute to be developed at the 9/11 Memorial to recognize the dedication, courage and sacrifice of rescue and recovery workers and honor all those who are suffering or have died from 9/11-related illnesses. 9/11 Memorial & Museum Board Chairman Michael R. Bloomberg, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and 9/11 Memorial Board Member Jon Stewart announced the planned tribute.
In November, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum hosted its annual five-day Salute to Service, a tribute that honors veterans, active-duty members of the military, and their families. Events included a wreath laying recognizing the U.S. Marine Corps' 242nd birthday, a U.S. Navy reenlistment ceremony, and an evening program, "Theater of War." This interactive public health initiative includes a dramatic reading of Sophocles' "Ajax," which addresses the visible and invisible wounds caused by war.
On April 23, more than 5,000 participants gathered for the fifth annual 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K Run/Walk and Community Day presented by RXR Realty. Following the Run/Walk, thousands attended Community Day, a free event near the 9/11 Memorial, which included live music and activities for all ages.
The 9/11 Memorial Art Cart was introduced on April 13 as a resource for families visiting with children. The cart features hands-on activities and self-guided explorations for young visitors to discover the symbolism and meaning behind elements of the Memorial and the rebuilt World Trade Center site. Made possible through generous support from New York Life, the 9/11 Memorial Art Cart activities are free and available from spring through early fall.
A class of New York City Police Department recruits visited the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in October to honor the NYPD officers who sacrificed their lives on 9/11. More than 440 recruits marched in formation around the South Pool before laying a wreath where the names of NYPD victims are inscribed in bronze on the Memorial. Marking the first time an NYPD class came to the Memorial & Museum as part of the official training of the police academy, this visit broadens the reach of previously established programs offered for probationary FDNY firefighters and EMTs.
Each year from dusk to dawn on the anniversary of 9/11, Tribute in Light illuminates the sky over lower Manhattan. This commemorative public art installation, now produced by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, is comprised of two beams of light-reminiscent of the Twin Towers-that soar up to four miles into the night sky. In 2017, the Carnegie Corporation of New York served as the inaugural presenting sponsor of Tribute in Light. With the additional partnership of 20 lower Manhattan businesses together with support from across the country in response to a grassroots campaign, some $350,000 was raised to make this year's presentation of Tribute in Light possible.
More than 300 people observed a moment of silence on the 9/11 Memorial plaza to pay tribute to the eight people killed in a terror attack in lower Manhattan on Oct. 31. Following the moment of silence, a procession of visitors left flowers and tied red, white, and blue ribbons at the Survivor Tree.
On April 22, in partnership with Art Beyond Sight, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum welcomed guests with low vision to tour the Museum's special exhibition, "Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11." The tour was part of a successful pilot access program for low vision visitors.
By the Numbers
In 2017, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum welcomed millions of visitors from around the world.
6.8 Million+
Visitors to the Memorial
37 million+ visitors since opening in September 2011
3.1 Million+
Visitors to the Museum
10.9 million+ visitors since opening in May 2014
185,000+
Memorial & Museum tour participants
"Uncommon Courage: First Responders on 9/11" guided museum tour
4,600+ participants on more than 285 tours
Educational Programs
7,000+
Students attended
Classroom Workshops
120,000
Students reached
in all 50 states and seven countries during Anniversary in the Schools program & webinar
500+
Teachers attended
Professional Development Workshops
9,000
Participants
in Youth & Family Programs
Collections in 2017
2,135+
Objects, audio recordings and oral histories acquired
11,000+
Total artifacts in the collection
Los Angeles Kings hockey jersey signed by first responders, professional hockey players, and 9/11 victims' families
Donated by Warren, Mojgan, Matthew and Joshua Binder in loving memory of Ace Bailey, Mark Bavis, and the many brave FDNY and NYPD who lost their lives trying to save people and all the countless innocent victims of 9/11
Photograph by Jin S. Lee
Fishing reel owned by Stephen A. Knapp, one of six victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
Gift of the Knapp family
Photograph by Michael Hnatov
Window glass fragment recovered by FEMA responder Harold Edward Spedding after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
Gift of Daniel Sassa in remembrance of those lost in the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center
Photograph by 9/11 Museum Collections Staff
Engaging Visitors
The Museum welcomes experts, artists and performers to help further conversations about the history of 9/11 and its continued impact.
465,000+
Public program attendees
Signing Steel
Museum visitors leave touching and powerful messages on digital screens near a piece of remnant World Trade Center steel. These comments and reflections are preserved in an archive.
220,000+
Entries in 2017
Cover stories:
Remembering the Twin Towers on The New Yorker
In May, a special exhibition, "Cover Stories: Remembering the Twin Towers on The New Yorker," opened in the South Tower Gallery, featuring 33 covers from the weekly news and culture magazine. From the time the original World Trade Center towers first rose into the New York City skyline, they began appearing on covers of The New Yorker. For years, artists treated the Twin Towers playfully. After 9/11, somber imagery emerged. While the destruction of the towers was not depicted, the anxiety and sadness engulfing the nation took form on The New Yorker covers after the attacks. Over the years, the covers commemorated the loss of the towers while documenting the revitalization of the site. The exhibition will remain on view through Fall 2018.
Connecting with the Community
Throughout 2017, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum continued to build and strengthen relationships in support of its mission.
18,000+
Participants in the 5th Annual 5K Run/Walk and Community Day
1,300+
Veterans who visited the Museum during Salute to Service
470+
Volunteers
Mission to Remember
This original documentary series explores the institution's commitment to the mission behind the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The short films go beyond the surface to immerse viewers in previously untold, behind-the-scenes stories of staff dedication to remembrance.
The Survivor Tree
Each year, seedlings from the Survivor Tree on the 9/11 Memorial plaza are given to three communities that have endured tragedy, as an expression of solidarity and compassion and an affirmation of the potential for recovery and resilience. A total of 15 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 December 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 December 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 more than 200 people slain in two unrelated mass killings only months apart in France: 130 people killed in the coordinated terror shootings and bombings in Paris on November 13, 2015, and 86 people killed in Nice on July 14, 2016, when a man used a truck to mow down revelers celebrating the national holiday of Bastille Day.
Manchester, United Kingdom
In memory of the 22 people, including young adults and children, killed by a terrorist bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 22, 2017.
Charleston, South Carolina
In memory of the nine people killed in a shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., on June 17, 2015.
Haiti
In memory of the numerous deaths and overwhelming destruction Haiti suffered during Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. The Embassy of Haiti in Washington D.C. has accepted and will plant the seedling on behalf of its country.
Social Media
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Sacrifice and Survival
Explore the Registries, a living historical record of survival, recovery and commemoration.
14,430+
Rescue and recovery worker profiles
1,195+
Witness and survivor profiles
1,175+
9/11 Memorial locations worldwide
