Association Mission
The September 11th Families’ Association supports victims of terrorism through communication, representation and peer support. Our mission is to unite the September 11th community, present evolving issues, and share resources for long-term recovery.
The September 11th Families’ Association (September 11th Widows’ and Victims’ Families’ Association is a registered 501c3 non profit corporation). 9/11 Tribute Museum (Tribute WTC Visitor Center), is a project of the September 11th Families’ Association.
The 9/11 Tribute Museum was created by the September 11th Families’ Association, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization incorporated in November 2001 by victims’ families. The 9/11 Tribute Museum conveys an understanding of the humanity and community that was both lost and found in the aftermath of 9/11. Throughout the 9/11 Tribute Museum, visitors are engaged in appreciating the scope and impact of the disaster as well as the enormous outpouring of compassion in response. By sharing with visitors the authentic experiences of those most affected by the events, exhibits and programs convey the courage, loss, heroism, and grief of those who responded to the tragedy.
Active recording, preserving and sharing of these experiences are central to the mission of the 9/11 Tribute Museum. Participation in the Tribute volunteer program has had a documented impact on members of the 9/11 community; promoting an enhanced sense of healing, enhanced compassion and appreciation for their place as history keepers.
9/11 Tribute Museum
The new 9/11 Tribute Museum offers factual information about the events of September 11 and its aftermath, but also highlights the tremendous spirit of resilience, compassion and service that arose after the attacks and offers inspiration for visitors to honor the legacy of these actions through volunteerism and acts of kindness in their own communities.
The unique hallmark of Tribute since its opening in 2006 are its Person to Person Histories. Family members, survivors, first responders and people who lived in Lower Manhattan share their stories on walking tours and in our galleries. The personal stories of 9/11 will continue to be told at the new 9/11 Tribute Museum, with additional focus on stories of reaching out to help others as a way of healing.
The Introductory Timeline provides an overview of the history of Lower Manhattan and the financial district, orienting visitors to the changing landscape of the neighborhood that has been a center of global exchange for more than 400 years. The timeline culminates in a gallery depicting the events of September 11, 2001.
The Response and Recovery gallery shows how, from the first moment of the attacks, people began helping one another. F irst responders, trained professionals and volunteers responded to the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the field near Shanksville, PA. National and international support included an outpouring of messages of compassion and unprecedented contributions of more than $2 billion to United States charities.
Adjacent to this gallery is the Story Telling Area, where volunteers from the Tribute Museum will share their 9/11 Stories, maintaining the personal connection between those directly impacted by the events and the visitors. Next to this area is the Remembrance Room, which features 1800 photographs of the victims of 9/11 and the first attack on the WTC in 1993 sent to us by their families.
The Rebuilding Gallery explores the many ways that individuals, families, uniformed services, companies, the city and the country started the processes of rebuilding, not just the physical infrastructure, but their lives, institutions, and communities.
The In Memoriam wall contains the names of all those lost in both attacks on the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania and on the four airplanes.
Serving the World introduces visitors to members of the 9/11 community who have transformed their own lives by reaching out to help others. Inspired by the generosity and kindness they received from all over the world, they have been working with professionals in healthcare, education, communication and cultural institutions to create remarkable projects that continue to grow.
The final gallery, Seeds of Service, is a communal and social interactive that encourages visitors to share their ideas for ways to serve local, national or global communities. Through printed displays and touchscreens, visitors will explore and learn about different volunteer opportunities, and they will be asked to commit to getting involved. A changing tally of these commitments, displayed on a large video wall and shared on social media, will show the growth and spread of service inspired by the selfless acts that showed the kindness and generosity of humanity in response to 9/11.
Learn more about 9/11 Tribute Museum Galleries >>
9/11 Community Volunteers – Sharing Personal History
The 9/11 Tribute Museum’s volunteer program draws from the entire 9/11 community: family members who lost loved ones, survivors, Lower Manhattan residents and workers, rescue workers, civilian volunteers, police and firefighters. Volunteers are trained to share their personal 9/11 experiences as walking tour and gallery guides. On daily public tours of the 9/11 Memorial, (6 – 8 per day), volunteers connect physical locations to specific events. Annually, 9/11 Tribute Museum volunteers serve over 350,000 visitors on personal tours.
Learn more about volunteering with the 9/11 Tribute Museum >>
Education Programs
Gallery Experiences with Guides
The 9/11 Tribute Museum offers deeper educational experiences in the form of guided gallery experiences for students, grade 5 – 12. Long distance experiences with our guides are available through a SKYPE program. Annually over 20,000 students visit the 9/11 Tribute Museum.
Learn more about bringing students to the 9/11 Tribute Museum>>
September 11th Personal Stories of Transformation
September 11th Personal Stories of Transformation
September 11th: Personal Stories of Transformation is a complete toolkit for the classroom. Five-minute interactive videos engage students in stories of 10 people who channeled tragedy into healing and civic engagement.
There are eight five-minute video stories, featuring people who were deeply affected by the attacks of 9/11 and responded with humanitarian initiatives to strengthen their local and global communities. The compelling stories include a local high school principal, a survivor, 9/11 family members, first responders, a Muslim community member, and brothers of victims who created memorials in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Each video is accompanied by a range of teaching materials and resources.
Learn more about this free, online multimedia toolkit for teachers >>
Events & Programs
Annually the 9/11 Tribute Museum offers a series of stimulating programs to the general public and the 9/11 Community. These programs highlight unique and personal perspectives on the attacks, the recovery, the rebuilding and the impact of 9/11 on the world that we live in. These events are offered for free to the general public.
Learn more about these events >>
9/11 Community Support
The September 11th Families’ Association supports victims of terrorism through communication, representation, and peer support. Our mission is to unite the 9/11 community, present evolving issues, and share resources for long-term recovery. The quarterly Tribute newsletter and websites provide consistent information and resources. The Association maintains one of the largest active databases including 5,000 immediate family members of victims who died at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and in Shanksville, PA.
9/11: The World Speaks
9/11: The World Speaks
At the end of their visit to the 9/11 Tribute Museum over 350,000 visitors have taken the opportunity to sit down, reflect and record their reflections about the meaning and impact of 9/11. These visitor cards have been collected and archived. these have been written by people visiting from over 120 countries and in 50 different languages.
9/11: The World Speaks, published by Lyons Press is a compilation of over 200 cards written by visitors from across the country and around the world after their visit through the 9/11 Tribute Museum museum exhibitions. Written by children and adults in many of the world’s languages, the cards express our common humanity. In drawings and verse, in philosophical statements and personal recollections, people have shared their thoughts about the deeply felt impact of 9/11 on their lives.
