Wall of missing posters from inside 9/11 Tribute Center (Credit: Peter Haske//WCBS 880)
NEW YORK (CBS New York) — The National September 11 Memorial Museum may have opened last month, but the 9/11 Tribute Center across the street is still thriving, its president said. Lee Ielpi, one of the center’s co-founders, told WCBS 880′s Peter Haskell that he’s still seeing full tours daily.
While he said he doesn’t view it as a competition, Ielpi said what sets the Tribute Center apart from the national museum is its personal touch. At the Tribute Center tours are guided by family members of 9/11 victims, first responders and survivors.
“We’re going to tell the story by those that lived it,” Ielpi said.
Ielpi is a retired member of the FDNY. His son, Jonathan, a firefighter, died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The center opened in 2006 to fill a void, Ielpi said.
“We saw the need to have somebody here telling the thousands of people where they are and what happened here.” Ielpi said.
