Reservations for Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial Site Open

By Debbie Cohen, Christian Post Contributor Monday, July 11, 2011

Tickets for the new 9/11 memorial in New York have been made available today, with the general public invited to reserve themselves tickets through an online system.

The timing of the release has been scheduled to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the terrorist atrocity that will take place in two months time. Tickets are free, and the online reservation system went live at 9 a.m.

According to the website reservations can also be made by phone between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.

The memorial opens to the public on Sept. 12 and visitors will be able to get timed passes to see the memorial. On Sept. 11 the memorial will only be open to selected families and invited dignitaries. As noted in the Drudge Report, officials are expected to limit the number of visitors to approximately 1,500 at a time.

There will be a separate reception area/entry point for 9/11 family members, which will be located at 90 West St., adjacent to the memorial.

The 9/11 Memorial features two enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, each about an acre in size, set within the footprints of the original twin towers.

The Memorial Plaza is one of the most eco-friendly plazas ever constructed, with more than 400 trees surrounding the memorial's two massive reflecting pools. The design has been made to convey a spirit of hope and renewal, publicity literature has said.

Construction originally commenced in 2006 and has been led by architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker who were selected over 5,000 other design submissions.

“This memorial proposes a space that resonates with the feelings of loss and absence that were generated by the destruction of the World Trade Center and the taking of thousands of lives on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993,” said Arad and Walker in a winning design excerpt statement.

The architects added to their description of the new memorial: “The pools are set within the footprints of the Twin Towers. A cascade of water that describes the perimeter of each square feeds the pools with a continuous stream.

“They are large voids, open and visible reminders of the absence.”

Nearly 3,000 of the victims killed on Sept. 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 will be inscribed on bronze parapets surrounding the twin memorial pools.

To reserve tickets for the 9/11 memorial please visit www.911memorial.org or call the reservations number on (212) 266-5201.