National September 11th Memorial & Museum Tickets and Free Mondays

Updated: 27 febrero 2024

This post is about the National September 11th Museum (a.k.a. the 9/11 Museum or World Trade Center Museum) and goes over ticket prices, guided tours, and tips to help you plan your visit.

We also explain how to take advantage of Free Mondays, when admission is free for everyone between 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm.

Our New York City tour guides have all visited the museum and as they speak to thousands of tour guests each year, they have also heard what tourists and locals had to say about their visits. 

All this information is the basis of this post. We also included tips from members of our popular NYC Travel Tips Facebook group.

You don't need to become a member to read the posts, comments, and recommendations. So check out the group after you've read this post and ask a question yourself!


PLAN YOUR VISIT

The information in this section will help you plan an outing to the 9/11 Museum.

We go over how to get there, the best times to visitsecurity informationwhat to expect from the museum.


Podcast Episode: Listen to tour guides Lori and Katherine discuss how to visit the 911 Memorial and Museum on an episode of our NYC Travel Tips podcast.

This podcast offers bite-sized audio clips with tips on how to plan your trip to NYC. You can get our podcasts on Apple, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts.


Where is the 9/11 Museum?

The National September 11 Memorial Museum is located at 180 Greenwich Street, inside the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.

There are many ways to get here and you can use this link for directions there.

It is easily accessible by many train lines of the New York City subway and a few bus lines.

If you are new to riding the subway, check out our posts on navigating the subway and how to buy a subway MetroCard.

Subways

  • A, C, 1, 2, 3 to Chambers Street
  • A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, or 5 to Fulton Street
  • 2 or 3 to Park Place
  • E to World Trade Center
  • 1 or R to Rector Street
  • R to Cortlandt Street

Bus M5, M20 & M22

If you’re planning to use a hop-on-hop-off bus, most stop very close to the World Trade Center.

New York Bus Tours

9/11 Museum Hours

Wednesday - Monday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.


Best Times to Visit

The 9/11 Museum is a fairly popular attraction that attracts large crowds throughout the year.

It has peak crowds from about 12 pm - 3 pm no matter what day of the week it is.

Best Times to Visit 911 Museum

If you want to avoid the crowds, the best times to come are between the hours of 9 am - 11 am or 6 pm - 8 pm.

Although there aren’t too many differences between the popularity of this attraction on weekdays and weekends, many guests recommend coming on a weekday for the best results.

Popular Times 911 Museum

Other visitors have indicated that if you pre-purchase your ticket, any time you come will be a good time.

Long ticket lines are the main problem people experience during the middle of the day.

Purchasing your ticket ahead of time will make it easier to get inside quickly without having to worry about long waits.

For more info about this option, check our ticket details section.


Security Screening

Upon entering the 9/11 Museum, you will need to go through a security screening. The museum asks that you limit the amount of items you bring with you to speed up the security lines.

Prohibited items:

  • Spray paint, liquid paint, markers
  • Glass bottles
  • Alkali Metals
  • Radios, bullhorns and other noise amplifiers
  • Rope & Wire
  • Powdered substances, liquid soaps and bubbles
  • Weapons and tools including firearms, knives, cutting tools, realistic replicas of firearms
  • See the entire list here.

Storing items at the museum

A coat check is available to store large bags, backpacks, large umbrellas and other items deemed a hazard to the exhibits.

Strollers are allowed into the museum unless they are oversized. They cannot be stored at the coat check.

Phones are allowed into the museum but must be silenced at all times and you will require headphones for any audio guides.

The following activities are prohibited:

  • Noise making
  • Eating/drinking
  • Commercial photography
  • Recording other visitors
  • All flash photography
  • Use of tripods

If you decide to take pictures or shoot a video, make sure to ask for permission first and keep the focus on items in the museum and not on other people around you.

Permits may be required for certain activities.


What to Expect

If you don’t purchase admission ahead of time, you may run into long lines at the ticket booth.

The best way to avoid long waits at the 9/11 museum is to pre-purchase your tickets. 

Once you pass through security, you will be able to visit several different exhibits that detail the history of 9/11 and the World Trade Center.

There is so much to see and do at this museum that you might get overwhelmed without a little help.

Thankfully, there are tours that you can take which provide more information about various exhibitions and artifacts. For additional details, make sure to check our tour section.

The 9/11 Museum recommends setting aside at least 2 hours to explore the museum.

Visitors have indicated that you could spend as little as an hour at the museum if you skip certain exhibits.

But, many have also said that they spent anywhere from 2 ½ - 5 hours and still didn’t manage to explore the entire building.

Each exhibition could take anywhere from 15-30 minutes or more to experience. Use our exhibit information section to plan your itinerary.

If you also plan on seeing nearby attractions such as the 9/11 Memorial or One World Observatory, make sure to set aside a little extra time for each activity.

While you can visit the memorial for free during the same general hours as the museum, you will need a ticket to enter One World Observatory.

For more details on this and other opportunities, visit our nearby attractions section.


TICKETS

Although the 9/11 Memorial is free to visit, you must buy a ticket to enter the 9/11 Museum.

Advanced ticket purchase is required so you can skip the line at the box office.

Ticket Prices

  • Adults $33 
  • Young Adult (13-17) $27
  • Seniors (65+) $27
  • Children (7-12) $21 | Under age 7 free
  • Family Pass (2 adult tickets + 3 children ages 7-17) $97
  • Students with ID $27
  • Veterans $22
  • Members of FDNY/NYPD/PAPD $16
  • Active/Retired U.S. Military Free
  • Admission is free for family members of 9/11 Victims, Rescue/Recovery Workers.

Pre-purchase tickets or learn more.

TIP: Admission is FREE for all every Monday from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm (read below).

An audio guide is available for rental from the Museum's Information Desk or downloaded to your own phone from iTunes or Google Play.

It costs $9.99 and can be listened to with your own headphones.


14 WAYS TO SAVE ON 9/11 MUSEUM TICKETS

There are a lot of different ways to save money on tickets to the 9/11 museum, and this section will provide details on how to take advantage of these deals.


1. Use a Tourist Pass

If you’re looking for a way to save money on tickets, note that the 9/11 Museum is included with several tourist passes.

Visitors planning to go to at least one other attraction or tour should consider this opportunity to save money on tickets.

Savings will be between 20-50% depending on the type of pass you choose. 

The following passes include admission to the 9/11 Museum:

In addition to this, the following attractions are also included with these money-saving passes:

  • Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tour
  • Empire State Buildings, Top of the Rock, or One World Observatory
  • Madame Tussauds
  • 9/11 Memorial & Museum
  • American Museum of Natural History
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry  
  • Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
  • Whitney Museum of American Art
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For more details, read our post about New York City attraction passes.

New York Tourist Discount Passes

2. Look For a Combo Deal

Some combo packages include admission to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and other popular attractions or activities.

Here are some of the best combo deals currently available:

Check this list of New York City combo packages for more deals.


3. Take a Guided Tour

Alternatively, some guided tours include admission to the 9/11 Museum and other activities.

These outings are a lot like combo packages, saving you a lot of time.

  • 9/11 Museum, 9/11 Memorial Tour & Statue of Liberty
    • Not available as of March 2024.

4. Take Advantage of Free Mondays

If you come on Monday, you'll be eligible for a free ticket between the hours of 5:30 pm - 7 pm.

For more details, check our section on Free Mondays.


5. Senior Discount

Senior citizens age 65 and older save $6 on tickets with ID.


6. Student Discount

University and college students in the United States, save $6 with valid.


7. Veteran Discounts

Veterans of the United States military are eligible for $11 off tickets with valid ID.


8. Members of the FDNY/NYPD/PAPD

If you are a member of either the FDNY, the NYPD, or the PAPD, you'll save $17 off regular ticket prices.


9. Free for US Military

Both active and retired members of the US Military are eligible for free entry to the 9/11 Museum.

A valid ID will be necessary to prove your status.


10. Free for Kids Under 6

Parents of children under the age of 6 will not be required to pay for a children's ticket to the 9/11 museum, as kids this young are welcome to visit for free with parental supervision.


11. Get a Family Ticket

If you're coming with your significant other and up to 3 kids under 17, you're eligible for a family ticket.

At $97 for a family ticket, if you came with 3 kids all between the ages of 13-17, you would save between $34 to $50.


12. Check Groupon and LivingSocial

Occasionally Groupon and LivingSocial have deals on 9/11 Museum tickets. On top of those deals, these sites run additional sales to save you 10% - 20% off the already low prices.


13. Child Discount

Young adults between the ages of 13-17 are eligible for $6 off the full admission price.

Children from the age of 7-12 can get an even better deal at $12 off the adult ticket price.


14. Get a Museum Membership

There are various levels of membership to the 9/11 Museum, and they all include free admission for at least one adult for the entire year.

The base level of membership is $75 and in addition to the free admission for the cardholder, it also includes two complimentary passes for guests accompanied by a member.


FREE ADMISSION MONDAY EVENINGS

Admission is free every Monday from 5:30 pm to 7 pm. Last entrance is 5:30 p.m.

Free tickets will be available on the website each Monday beginning at 7 a.m. ET and are first come, first serve.

Book your free spots here.

Note: While admission is free, there is an expectation that you donate at least $10 per person. This isn't required, but you might feel uncomfortable when asked.  

Keep in mind that admission to the museum is included for free with the purchase of either the New York Pass, the Go City New York Explorer Pass, or the CityPass booklet.

Read our post comparing NYC tourist attractions passes.

New York Tourist Discount Passes

TIP: If you do plan to go on a Monday, why not join us before your visit on our pay-what-you-wish 9/11 and World Trade Center Tour at 9:30 a.m.

Or if you can't make our 9:30 am tour, consider taking a private 911 Memorial and Brooklyn Bridge Night Tour with us.

Free New York Tours

EXHIBIT INFORMATION

The museum has three main exhibitions, which make up the bulk of the space as well as special exhibitions that change every year or so.


Historical Exhibition

Here you can see hundreds of artifacts and details that provide a full account of the World Trade Center.

Three parts to this exhibit explore the history of this location before, during, and after the events of 9/11.


Memorial Exhibition

See the faces of the 2,983 victims of both 9/11 and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

Learn more about each victim by using touch screen tables which provide additional information about each of the lives lost.

You’ll also find a chamber that projects profiles of select individuals with additional information and audio from family and friends.


Foundation Hall

This is where the “slurry wall” is located. This is a surviving retaining wall of the original World Trade Center that withstood the devastation of 9/11.

This is also where you can see the Last Column, which stands 36-feet high and was the final steel beam removed from Ground Zero.


Film Features

Facing Crisis: America Under Attack

In this film, key 9/11 decision-makers describe the events of the day. It is shown on the hour.

Facing Crisis: A Changed World

In this film, world leaders examine 9/11’s impact on global events. It is shown on the half-hour.

Rebirth at Ground Zero

Playing every 30 minutes, this immersive media installation shows how the World Trade Center site was rebuilt.


Temporary Exhibits

Here are just a few of the fantastic temporary exhibitions since 2016.

  • Skywalkers: A Portrait of the Mohawk Ironworker at the World Trade Center
  • Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11
  • Cover Stories: Remembering the Twin Towers on The New Yorker
  • K-9 Courage
  • Revealed: The Hunt for Bin Laden

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Due to its location in Lower Manhattan, there are a lot of historic and notable attractions nearby.

Of course, right across the street is the 9/11 Memorial which is free to visit.

Also, just across the plaza is One World Observatory, (aka Freedom Tower), one of NYC's five observation decks.

You will also be just a few streets from the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, Wall StreetTrinity Church, and the Staten Island Ferry for free rides into the harbor.

See our post on Things to Do in Lower Manhattan for even more attractions and activities.


GUIDED TOURS

There are many options for guided tours of the museum.

Some include tours of the 9/11 Memorial while others include tickets to One World Observatory or the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

For more information on these tours, click here or take a look at the calendar below.


Official 9/11 Museum Tours

In addition to all the 9/11 Memorial tours you can take, there are also official tours offered by the 9/11 Museum.

Some of them aren’t cheap, but you will undoubtedly learn a lot about the history of this location with the help of their wonderful and knowledgeable docents.

Check the tour page for more information.


Why Is the 9/11 Museum Important?

The 9/11 Museum was planned and designed to be the preeminent institution in the United States for honoring and remembering those who were lost in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, as well as the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993.

The museum weaves together individual stories about those who lost their lives on 9/11, as well as stories from those who escaped, those who lost a loved one, and those who risked their lives to aid in the rescue efforts.

The Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibit space includes a Historical Exhibition, detailing the facts and chronology of the events of 9/11,  as well as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The “Wall of Faces” displays pictures of nearly every victim of these two events.

There are also interactive exhibits where individuals are honored through stories, additional photographs, personal artifacts, and audio recordings.

Worth noting is that the primary exhibition space is located seven stories below ground, to be exact. The reasoning is unique.  

In the aftermath of 9/11, what remained of the original World Trade Center achieved federal landmark status.  

The 9/11 Memorial Foundation is legally required to preserve what remains of the original Trade Center and make it accessible to the public.

The remaining elements are the foundation slabs of the original Twin Towers, parts of the exterior “box columns” of the Twin Towers, and the retaining wall that was built during the original construction.  

This was to keep the Hudson River from flooding the Trade Center.

This wall, known as the “slurry wall,” held firm on 9/11, despite all of the chaos around.  

Architect Daniel Libeskind, who designed the master plan for the new World Trade Center, thought that the slurry wall was a symbol of the strength and endurance of this country and needed to be seen.   

Because of these factors, the museum is built underground where visitors can best see these original World Trade Center elements. 


TIPS FROM LOCALS AND TRAVELERS

Here are some thoughts on the museums from members of our New York Travel Tips Facebook group.

The top question that came up in our group was about the best time to go, especially in terms of avoiding any lines to get in.

There was no shortage of advice. Almost universally people recommend going early.

One group member took the Early Access Tour and avoided crowds and lines altogether.

When asked if a tour was worth it, group members were overwhelmingly positive.

If you are concerned that the museum may be difficult for you to handle, here’s what group members felt. Of course, everyone has their own threshold.

As for visiting with children and teenagers, only you know your child best. For some kids, it was a learning experience. 

However, some adults who had been to the museum advised against bringing children.

Lastly, many people combine their museum visit with other activities such as going to the Statue of Liberty as the ferry departs nearby.

Here are some tips on how to plan for both activities.


RELATED POSTS:

About The Author

Stephen Pickhardt

Stephen is the CEO of Free Tours by Foot and has overseen the transformation of a local walking tour company into a global tour community and traveler’s advice platform. He has personally led thousands of group tours in the US and Europe, and is an expert in trip planning and sightseeing, with a focus on budget travelers. Stephen has been published and featured in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Yahoo, Washington.org, and more.
Updated: febrero 27th, 2024
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