New York’s 9/11 memorial opens to public
Former U.S. President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama visit the North Memorial Pond as they arrive for a commemoration ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the National September 11 Memorial, September 11, 2011 at Ground Zero in New York City. On September 12, 2011, the memorial opened to the public.
The 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero in New York City opened to the public Monday morning, a day after its official dedication on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
Visitors were allowed into the 9/11 memorial plaza starting at 10 a.m. Monday, under tight security, the Associated Press reports.
The memorial consists of two reflecting pools, where the World Trade Center's twin towers stood, ringed by bronze panels engraved with the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.
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About 7,000 people were issued tickets for opening day, and some 400,000 have reserved tickets for the coming months, the AP reports. Ongoing construction work means visitor numbers are being limited at present, the BBC says.
The memorial plaza opened to families of the victims on Sunday, at a commemoration ceremony attended by former U.S. President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, VOA reports. All of the victims' names were read out at the ceremony, which included moments of silence and musical performances by Paul Simon, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and Yo-Yo Ma.
Much of the memorial complex is still under construction, including the National September 11 Museum, which is due to open next year, the BBC says. Several office towers and an underground portion of the site are expected to be complete by 2015.
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