9/11 Memorial Preview SiteNEW YORK - TOURISTS coming to ground zero to see the Sept 11 memorial often peer through a fenced-off construction site for a glimpse and ask street vendors when it will be built. It will be at least two years until the memorial to the 2001 terrorist attacks opens to the public. But in an old camera shop north of the World Trade Center site, visitors will be able to watch live video of the construction, record their 9/11 memories and even leave with a souvenir. The foundation that will run the finished memorial and museum built the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, hoping to attract the hundreds of thousands of tourists a year who come to ground zero looking for a 9/11 story and finding a giant construction site. The Tribute WTC Visitor Center, a small gallery on the south side of the site, charges US$10 (S$14.48) admission and says it brings in 300,000 tourists a year. It won't cost anything to get into the preview site, although the foundation will sell memorabilia, including 9/11 memorial pins, books and DVDs. Joe Daniels, president of the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said the foundation also wants to present an alternative to stories tourists hear on the street about the plans for the site. 'Every single day, I'm walking by these guys who are selling the flip books to tourists,' Mr Daniels said. 'These tourists are asking questions about what's getting built. ... We see a tremendous interest in what's happening here.' The 3,000-square-foot (279-square-metre) space will feature models and renderings of 'Reflecting Absence,' the design for twin reflecting pools with cascading waterfalls where the trade center towers had stood, surrounded by nearly 3,000 victims' names. Live webcam video of the construction will be displayed on a giant screen. In a recording booth, visitors will be able to speak for 3 minutes about where they were, and what they remember of Sept 11, 2001. The recordings - visitors can share their stories in any language- will enter the permanent collection of the 9/11 museum and become part of an introductory exhibit. The foundation said private donations paid for the memorial preview site but didn't say how much it cost to build. It has raised over US$350 million privately for the 8-acre (3.2-hectare) memorial, which would set the waterfall-filled pools in a cobblestoned, tree-covered plaza. Builders said the memorial will open to the public on the attacks' 10th anniversary, although some parts of the aboveground plaza won't be finished. The museum, being built underneath the memorial, is slated to open a year later. -- AP |
A memorial and museum will be built in memory of the 9/11 victims who died 8 years ago in 2001 on the very day of September 11th. It will be unveiled on September 11th 2011, which marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
I feel that having a memorial to remember the innocent victims who passed on during the September 11th terror attacks. It is not about the money they earn selling tickets and souvenirs, but is more of the memory. Although this fateful event happened close to 8 years ago, we should remember it forever so that we learn from their mistakes and remind ourselves to be vigilant at all times.
Opening this memorial on the 10th anniversary marks a very important date as we will reminisce what happened 10 years ago. It must be very saddening if one of your relative was a victim of the attacks. This is a reason why Singapore takes its defence a serious problem. We never know when history will repeat itself. Hence, we must be vigilant at all times and be aware of your surroundings. When the memorial opens, I will definitely visit it to remind me how lucky I actually am.
