General News
Remembering 9/11: Tribute WTC Visitor Center offers tours, exhibits and programs
Oct 1, 2009 11:13 AM
It was the day that changed America: Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists murdered nearly 2,800 people by crashing two planes into the World Trade Center buildings.
The memories, still fresh in the minds of those who lived through it, are difficult to bear. But there are stories — heroic stories of survivors, rescue workers, victims’ families and volunteers — that are worth remembering.
That’s what the Tribute WTC Visitor Center is all about.
Located across the street from Ground Zero at 120 Liberty St., next door to FDNY Firehouse Engine 10 Ladder 10, the center offers visitors to the World Trade Center site a place where they can connect with people from the Sept. 11 community.
Through walking tours, exhibits and programs, Tribute WTC offers person-to-person history, linking visitors who want to understand and appreciate these historic events with those who experienced them.
More than 300,000 people — including many students on class trips — have visited the center each year since it opened in September, 2006. Classes that visit will discover the personal impact of 9/11 by interacting with primary source materials including compelling objects and oral histories.
Students will build a deeper understanding of the events of 9/11 and reflect upon the extraordinary humanitarian efforts that took place in the aftermath here and around the world. Students will be directed to think about their responsibility to contribute toward an improved global community.
The Tribute Center which also focuses on Feb. 26, 1993 — the day the WTC was bombed — is a project of the September 11th Families’ Association, and it expands upon the nonprofit corporation’s mission to unite and support victims of terrorism by incorporating the entire 9/11 community.
School groups can also take part in the Tribute Center’s self-guided audio tour, The Spirit of Tribute. The tour takes the group outside and around the WTC site, through the World Financial Center, to obtain a dramatic view looking down into the site.
The audio tour weaves together several passionate stories told by firefighters, survivors (including a number of retired UFTers), neighborhood residents and recovery and volunteer workers. A map is provided to guide your path. The tour is available in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese and English.
To schedule a visit to the Tribute Center or for more information, contact Group Reservations at 1-212-393-9160, ext. 133, or e-mail groupservices@tributewtc.org. To find out more about becoming a volunteer, contact Tracy Grosner at 1-212-422-3520, ext. 112, or by e-mail at volunteer@tributewtc.org.
The Tribute Center also supports teachers through programs and resources. It annually presents awards to teachers who have created exemplary educational projects that sustain the memory of 9/11.
Teachers are also invited to utilize online resources in the classroom, which are available by visiting www.tributewtc.org.
