Did you know that the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is different from all the other memorials in the Washington D.C. area? It is unique in the fact that it is located where the event took place. The memorial stands where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
The Memorial
The Memorial beautifully captures the moment 184 lives were lost. Each victim’s age and location at the time of the attack have been intertwined into the memorial. 184 Memorial units are located along an age line that spans the memorial beginning with the zero line, which is the date and time of the attack.
Each Memorial unit consists of a bench, a lighted pool of flowing water, and a permanent tribute to each victim. Benches are positioned to distinguish victims in the Pentagon from those on the plane. Visitors to the memorial can see the Pentagon victim’s name and Pentagon in the same view. Similarly, you can see the flight victim’s name and the flight approach in the same view.
Scattered among the Pentagon Memorial are 85 Crape Myrtles that aren’t dedicated to anyone victim. On the western side of the memorial, visitors can view the Age Wall. The wall grows one inch in height relative to the age lines. As you move through the memorial, the wall grows from 3 inches to 71 inches.
On the eastern side, you can see the exact point where Flight 77 came into contact with the Pentagon. It can be seen best between age lines 1959 and 1961. If you look closely you can see a charred black stone at the base of the Pentagon. This stone was pulled from the original building following the attack and inscribed with September 11, 2001.
Planning a visit
The Pentagon Memorial is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. It never closes. Restrooms are available, but only from 7:00am to 10:00pm. There is only limited handicap parking at the Pentagon, however, metered and garage parking is available a short distance away. Similarly, the Pentagon and Pentagon City metro stations are also within walking distance.
A 24-minute audio tour is available to help guide you through the memorial. Simply call (202) 741-1004 at the entrance and the audio will lead you through various points throughout the park. You can also listen to the audio tour before or after your visit.
Visiting the Memorial with kids
Are you planning to visit with the kids? The Memorial is a very solemn place and should be treated as such. We kept having to remind our kids that this place was to be treated like a cemetery, with respect and honor. This wasn’t a place to run, climb, and goof off. Overall, I found the Memorial to be a great teaching moment for our kids. They asked lots of questions and generally became interested in what went on that fateful day.
More in Washington D.C.
- 4 Days with Kids in Washington DC
- Museum of the Bible with Kids
- United States Air Force Memorial with Kids
- National Postal Museum & Union Station with Kids
- Our Year in Washington, D.C.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I did not receive compensation for this post.
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