Exit through the 9/11 Museum gift shop

[morosco]

D.C. looks like it's placed a little too far North on that cheese plate.

[Reginald Tresilian]

I like Adam Feldman's comment: "I really want this 9/11 cheese plate but I worry that it won't fit on the table with my Jonestown Massacre punch bowl."

[FindingNamo]

Terrorism tastes better when it sits on a Ritz (™).

[NYadgal]

A couple of thoughts the morning after visiting the Museum.

First, the fences have come down around the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, and it's now truly an open, public space. I've visited the Memorial Plaza a few times before, but now that it's an Open Space, it has a very different feeling. It's beautiful to be able to walk freely around the area. To see people reflecting, just walking through toward some destination, or simply enjoying a beautiful part of Manhattan. Just like the beautiful memorials in the National Mall in DC, this now has a feeling of simplicity. And, the lights in the pools at night add a beautiful element to the design.

In my opinion - the 9/11 Museum got it right.
My friend - who lost her husband on 9/11 - and I were impressed with the design, the exhibits and the atmosphere of respect, gratitude, grief, memories, and even education (a section on the history of Al Qaeda and the role of the terrorsts that day had more people in it than we had expected. We didn't spend time there, but many did). We saw just a small part of all that can be seen - but the areas that we saw were beautifully designed. I can envision visiting it again.

There are guided tours, and you can get an audio guide, although the audio guides were not available when we arrived, so we downloaded the app on our smartphones, and were able to listen to some of the commentary that way. Eventually we turned them off and just strolled, and sat, at our own pace, but I listened to some of the commentary after I got home, and it was appropriately informative, educational and very, very respectful.

The In Memoriam area is a quiet area for contemplation, and a place to honor and learn more about the people killed that day (and in the 1993 bombings). Beautiful. Emotional. Moving. And comforting.

"Reflecting On 9/11" is an ongoing media installation where family members, survivors, or any visitor, can record and share thoughts and remembrances. My friend has not yet recorded anything, but plans to return to do so.

In the end, I think the museum is the right combination of being an educational and historical institution which both honors and remembers the victims, those who responded, and all those who were a part of that fateful day, while also setting aside a space for examining the day and it's continued global significance.

I was struck by the similar feeling I had when I visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Oahu.
Both are sites of attacks on the US. Both are sacred spaces where people died, and remains are forever entombed. Both draw visitors from around the world, each having their own reason for visiting. Both are in areas that are living, breathing places on the islands where they are located, and are incorporated into the life that continues around them. Both help to teach us and encourage us to think about the historical significance of what happened. Both are respectful memorials which "attest to the triumph of the human spirit and dignity over human depravity and affirm an unwavering commitment to the fundamental value of human life."

I'm glad I was there.
I'm glad I shared it with someone who was glad she was there.
I will return.


Two other notes:
The 'business' of the museum (security, coat room, guide desk, cafe, and yes, bookstore), all are located on the upper and Atrium areas of the museum and are removed from the exhibits and start of the walk of remembrance.

I peeked my head into the bookstore, because I wanted to see for myself. Yes, there are small gifts, but it seemed to me that it's largely a shop filled with books, videos and items that are informative - much like the shop at Pearl Harbor. I didn't walk through, so very likely missed the items which we all have a negative reaction to, but, my mind has been changed a bit for having seen it for myself. I don't judge the person who chooses to buy an item that may have meaning to them. I choose not to purchase it, but I don't have a problem with someone who does. I might be interested in exploring the books at a later visit. Maybe. We'll see.

I did see the cheese plate. That has to go. No question.
To that point, I hope those who are making some of the marketing decisions rethink the way they are approaching events and items in the museum - the negative PR has done damage, and it's a better place than that.
Without a doubt, the Museum should become part of the National Park Service, which also operates Pearl Harbor.

Anyway, it's simply my own opinion, and holds no more weight than any other opinion shared here. I just wanted to share my experience from last night.

[tazber]

Thanks for sharing your experience Addy.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Addy, very nicely put. Thank you.

[ArtMan]

Addy, With an advance ticket is there a wait period to enter the museum? Also, what would be the approximate time spent for the average person, without a guided tour or audio guide in your opinion?

[NYadgal]

ArtMan, they ask you to arrive 15 minutes before your Ticket/Reservation time, and they have roped off lines set up to wait in until your entry time. We got there about 20 minutes early, and waited for about 10-15 before we were allowed to go through the security line.
I would imagine that on weekends, holidays or days when there are more people visiting the wait time could be a little longer, but the way they have it organized with timed-entrance keeps things moving smoothly.

I don't know about the guided tour - the info might be on the website.
We could easily have spent hours listening to all of the information in the audio tour, in all of the different areas of the museum, but we limited our visit to under 2 hours, even with some of the guided information.

There are some suggested 'routes' to take if you are interested in various aspects of the museum (memorial, the rebuilding, etc), and I think you can pre-print them from the website.

Truthfully, you can spend as much or as little time as you want, but 1 1/2 - 2 hours would be time to get a solid overview, I think. (It wasn't very crowded when we were there last night, so we were able to walk through fairly easily). But, you could easily spend more time. There is alot to see and experience.

(By the way, if you download the app for your smartphone, you must use headphones to listen)

[ArtMan]

Thank you for the info. I will be going on a Saturday and wasn't sure how early an entrance time to buy since I have a 2:00 matinee.

[NYadgal]

I would go as early as possible. First, it would be nice to be among the first entrants into the museum, so you're not surrounded by people who have arrived before you.

Also, that area is crowded on weekends (I work in a building next to Ground Zero, and am frequently there on weekends, and sometimes feel it's busier than during the week!)

[FindingNamo]

I appreciate you taking the time to share that experience.

[SNAFU]

Addy, thank-you for your wonderful discription. It has made me rethink my intitial knee jerk reaction to the whole thing. Maybe, someday I will venture down there to experience for myself. At the moment however, the event is still too fresh in my mind. I saw a picture of the crushed firetruck and actually had a mental Flash back of walking across the bridge to get to my apartment on John Street, having to stop at various check points to show IDs and seeing all of the flatten vehicles near the Seaport where they were stored before being carted away. I believe that truck was on my route.

[NYadgal]

It's all so, so personal.

[SNAFU]

I will never forget, just don't want to remember.

[PalJoey]

Thanks for the calm, rational overview, Addy.

[~~tiny3~~]

"Unless you have a (9/11) coffee mug, how are ya gonna remember 9/11?"

- Sarah Silverman on Real Time with Bill Maher.

[FindingNamo]

I went to a birthday party tonight. There were cheese cubes. I just wished three of them were shaped like hearts.

[PalJoey]

The cheese platter is gone.


WALL ST JOURNAL: 9/11 Museum Takes Action on Criticisms After Complaints, Gift-Shop Items to Get Closer Scrutiny From Victims' Relatives

[FindingNamo]

Collector$ item!

[candydog2]

When I visited the memorial the museum was still under construction. I remember still exiting through a gift shop though and rolling my eyes at how tacky that seemed. It's a memorial, not a theme park.

That said, what I found most unsettling was the manner in which many people conducted themselves around the fountains. Tourists posing and grinning as though they were in front of the Statue of Liberty, taking selfies etc. It just genuinely surprised me that they could stand on the site of an event like that and pose for pictures as though they were at Disneyland.