Artefacts, images and stories re-create the quiet heroism of the long recovery period after the terrorist attack on New York City’s World Trade Centre.
The Ground Zero Museum Workshop was created several years after the terrorist attacks that felled the iconic twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center so that people would never forget the need to fight the war on terrorism. See the images and listen to the stories that honor the thousands of acts of heroism in the aftermath of the attack.
Immediately after hijacked planes struck first one and then the second World Trade Center tower on September 11, 2001, New York’s public servants jumped into action to fight the resulting fires and rescue those caught in the attack. Within hours, their efforts became a recovery mission to dig through the 100-foot-deep (30-meter) pile of rubble, searching for survivors or sorting through remains. Listen to the sounds of search dogs, rescue communications and chaplains presiding over honor guard ceremonies at the site of the attack, which became known as Ground Zero.
As the long recovery went on for months, Gary Marlon Suson captured remarkable photos and video of the workers and the artifacts they uncovered. The child-friendly images avoid the graphic horror of the day of attack and the recovery of victims’ bodies and focus on the living history and heroism of the workers. Hear workers’ stories in English, Italian, Spanish and French, with sounds from the site in the background.
The non-profit museum donates to charities related to firefighter families. Ticket price is reduced for seniors, youth and active members of the New York and Port Authority Police Departments and New York Fire Department. If you’re an immediate 9/11 family member, contact the museum for information about free tickets. The museum is open daily in New York’s Meatpacking District from mid-morning, with group tours at specified times. Purchase items of remembrance in the gift shop.
While the ghastly sights of the World Trade Center falling to rubble were broadcast repeatedly after the terrible attacks, the Ground Zero Museum Workshop presents the tireless recovery efforts that went on for 9 months with far less visibility. See this poignant museum filled with memories of the quiet heroes of those long days.
