Mission to Remember

Every morning 9/11 Memorial staff honor the men, women, and children whose names are inscribed on the panels by placing a single white rose on each person’s name on their birthday. Visitor Services Supervisor Sean Evans describes this tradition and the meaning behind it.

As part of our mission to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 terrorist attacks, the 9/11 Memorial Museum works with family members, close friends, and coworkers to collect artifacts and spoken remembrances that illustrate the lives, personalities, and passions of those who were killed. Executive Vice President of Collections and Chief Curator Jan Seidler Ramirez shares how her team collects objects for display in the Museum.

Conservators at the 9/11 Memorial Museum have a unique responsibility to preserve objects that have been significantly damaged and whose meaning is often found in the damage itself. Learn more as conservator Maureen Merrigan discusses the special challenge of working with diverse materials—fine art, textiles, handwritten notes, monumental emergency vehicles, World Trade Center steel—that together tell the story of 9/11.

Each weeknight, 9/11 Memorial staff climb inside the twin pools of the Memorial to give them a top-to-bottom cleaning. Watch as Chief Engineer Anthony LoCasto gives a behind-the-scenes tour of all the care that goes into keeping the Memorial a special place for reflection.

Meet canine handler Mike Racioppo and his partner Hatter. This former NYPD detective and his canine companion are regular fixtures on the Memorial plaza, working to ensure the Memorial remains a place of quiet remembrance.

It can be difficult for parents and teachers to talk about terrorism with young people, but these conversations are crucial to help future generations understand the events that shaped their world. Director of Education Megan Jones explains how the Museum's educators talk to kids about 9/11.