New Yorkers visiting the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in downtown Manhattan will no longer need to pay admission for the indoor space every Sunday afternoon, starting next month.
The move extends the 9/11 museum’s “New York First Sundays” program, which allows visitors who live, work, and study in New York to receive free admission between 4 and 7 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month. A grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation made the program possible.
The state is now offering a $2.2 million grant to extend the free-admission program to every Sunday afternoon, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced on Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“The events of 9/11 and those we lost that day should never be forgotten and every New Yorker, especially those too young to remember the attacks, should have the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum,” Hochul said in a statement.
“By expanding New York First Sundays to include every Sunday throughout the year, we are ensuring that more New Yorkers can experience the Museum, honor those we lost, and reflect on the courage, resilience and unity that sustained our state and our nation on one of our darkest days,” she said. “I am proud to support the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as it continues to preserve these stories for future generations.”
The indoor museum usually requires a paid ticket, while the outdoor memorial is free. The museum has other free-admission options for select groups, including the family members of 9/11 victims, survivors, and first responders.
Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, thanked the governor for the state’s contribution.
“I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to never forget how 9/11 affected our city and state,” Hillman said. “Since we began New York First Sundays to acknowledge the deep connection between New Yorkers and 9/11, many first-time visitors have come to the Museum. By expanding to every Sunday throughout the year, thousands more New Yorkers will be able to visit and reconnect to the sense of community that we all felt after the attacks.”
IN PICTURES: TRUMP, BUSH, AND MORE PAY THEIR RESPECTS AT 9/11 CEREMONIES ACROSS THREE SITES ON 25TH ANNIVERSARY
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum are located on the grounds where the World Trade Center once stood. The twin towers were destroyed in the al Qaeda terrorist attacks of 9/11, after two planes hit them. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks. Most of those deaths occurred at the World Trade Center, but there was a third plane crash at the Pentagon and another in Pennsylvania.
Twenty-five years later, politicians paid their respects to the lives lost by attending ceremonies at the three different attack sites. President Donald Trump visited the Pentagon memorial, and Vice President JD Vance attended the New York City memorial at Ground Zero. Meanwhile, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) delivered some remarks at the United Airlines Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
