One World Trade Center: Observatory, Memorial & Museum

Talking about the World Trade Center takes us back to that tragic morning of September 11, 2001, the day of the attack on the Twin Towers.

After a long recovery process, what was once Ground Zero is today a symbol of the New York that doesn't give up and doesn't forget.

Each of the new buildings and corners of the WTC has given the tragedy new meaning through remembrance and a commitment to a future of peace and progress.

Visiting the World Trade Center is a must for anyone coming to New York, and even if you've been before, go back again, because it's a shape-shifting space that never stops growing.

What to see at the World Trade Center

The most important buildings in the long reconstruction project at Ground Zero are 1WTC, the Memorial, the 9/11 Museum and the new WTC Transportation Hub.

Here's everything you need to know to visit them:

1. One World Trade Center

One World Trade Center is now the icon of the New York skyline.

It opened in 2014, and at 1,776 feet tall (541 meters) with 102 floors, it became the tallest building in New York and in the Western Hemisphere, and the fourth tallest skyscraper in the world.

The 1WTC observatory is one of the most visited attractions in New York during high season, so it's worth planning your visit and ideally locking in your tickets, since they're sold in time slots (details at the link).

2. The 9/11 Memorial

Seeing the Memorial to the victims of 9/11 will help you grasp the sheer scale of this tragedy.

Standing in front of the two enormous pools where the Twin Towers once stood and reading the names of more than 3,000 victims is genuinely moving.

Nothing about this monument is accidental; every detail is a gesture. For example, it's striking to learn that every tree on the plaza is a sapling grown from the trees that survived at Ground Zero.

Read the full details on visiting the 9/11 Memorial.

3. The 9/11 Memorial Museum

This Museum, located beneath the Memorial plaza, is an overwhelming historical record of 9/11.

It displays remains from the tragedy along with testimony from family members, rescue workers and witnesses of the attack.

You'll see melted steel beams, office supplies belonging to people who are no longer here, belts, doors, seats and windows from the planes, passengers' suitcases and even toys belonging to small children who were aboard the hijacked aircraft.

Raw, but something you have to see. Read the details to plan your visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

If you bought the New York Pass or the CityPASS, admission to the Museum is included.

4. The Oculus

One of the most eye-catching structures at the WTC is the Oculus, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

It's part of the rebuilt World Trade Center Transportation Hub, destroyed on 9/11.

This is one of the city's most important transit hubs, connecting 11 subway lines and linking Manhattan with New Jersey.

Read the details on visiting the Oculus. Admiring the exterior isn't enough; the best part is underground 😉

5. Westfield World Trade Center Mall

Beneath the enormous wings that crown the Oculus sits the Westfield World Trade Center Mall.

An elegant shopping center with an Apple Store, Lacoste, Samsonite, Victoria's Secret, Skechers and plenty more.

More than for the shopping, it's worth walking through to take in Calatrava's design, full of light and air (read the details on visiting the Westfield WTC mall).

6. Liberty Park

Liberty Park, which opened in 2016, is a small elevated terrace at the western edge of the WTC (you enter from Cedar Street).

Its modern benches and well-kept gardens make it an ideal spot to rest and take in the whole World Trade Center area at once.

7. Brookfield Place

You can get comfortably to the Brookfield Place mall (225 Liberty Street) from Liberty Park via a passage that connects the two.

It's a good place to eat, use spotless restrooms, window-shop luxury stores or rest in its comfortable indoor areas. In winter you can skate on its ice rink and escape the cold in the Winter Garden.

It's also a great spot to watch the Wall Street boys in their natural habitat, since plenty of them gather here on their downtime (at least they did before the pandemic).

At Brookfield Place you'll find Le District, a French food hall with several spots for breakfast, lunch or a delicatessen-style dinner.

8. St. Paul's Chapel

St. Paul's Chapel (1766), steps from the WTC, is considered a miracle, since it came through the attack on the Twin Towers intact, without a single broken pane of glass.

Because it was so close and in such good shape, it was used as a refuge for the firefighters and volunteers who spent 8 months working at the Twin Towers site searching for victims and helping clear the debris.

Today you can visit a memorial to the victims inside, along with a timeline of the days that followed the tragedy.

It's also one of the oldest buildings still standing in New York.

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As I mentioned, the World Trade Center is still being rebuilt, and for now these are the highlights…

If it's your first time, you'll need at least half a day to go up to the 1WTC observatory and walk through the 9/11 Museum.

It's worth spending time here. This is a nerve center of Manhattan and one of the most important attractions to see.

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Getting there

Subway A, C, 1, 2, 3. Chambers Street station
Subway A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5. Fulton Street station
Subway 2, 3. Park Place station
Subway E. World Trade Center station
Subway R, 1. Rector Street station

Prices and hours: details at the links we've left for each place.