Things to Know: Pentagon 911 Memorial
There are some events that you never forget; September 11, 2001, is one of those days. We all remember exactly where we were when we first the heard the events that were happening on that horrific day. But our kids are growing up in a world where 9/11 is just a day in history that we all talk about on the anniversary but it doesn’t have the same emotion attached. One of the things that we must do as we are raising our kids, is to help them understand and remember the things our nation has experienced. On our recent trip to Washington DC we were able to visit the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial and can share some tips for when you visit.
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Where are the 9/11 Memorials?
Over the past year, we have been working to take our family to visit each of the 9/11 Memorials. Natalie and I visited Ground Zero in New York City last spring.
Last summer, our family took the time to visit the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
And now we have visited the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial in Washington DC.
The 184 souls lost in the terrorist attack at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, were mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters, coworkers, flight crew, friends, patriots.
The Pentagon Memorial captures that moment in time at 9:37 a.m. when 184 lives became intertwined for eternity. Each victim’s age and location at the time of the attack have been permanently inscribed into the Memorial by the unique placement and direction of each of the 184 Memorial Units.
Elegant and simple, the Pentagon Memorial serves as a timeline of the victims’ ages, spanning from the youngest victim, three-year-old Dana Falkenberg, who was on board American Airlines Flight 77, to the oldest, John D. Yamnicky, 71, a Navy veteran, also aboard Flight 77 that morning.
Things to Know: Pentagon 911 Memorial
When you visit the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, there are a few things to note.
- The Pentagon Memorial is open 24 hours a day, Monday – Sunday.
- The Memorial is handicap and stroller accessible.
- There is NO photography allowed on the Pentagon property, but you MAY take pictures once you enter the actual memorial.
- You may drive to the Memorial but there is no public parking at the Pentagon. Instead, you can park in nearby parking areas.
- There is a public Metro stop at the Pentagon that affords easy access to the Memorial.
- It is approximately half mile walk from the Metro station to the Memorial.
- Remember that you are visiting a memorial and should show proper respect.
- This is a great place to teach children about the events of 9/11, but not a place for children to run and play.
Find the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
Exit the Metro at the Pentagon Station and follow the signs to the Memorial.
Planning to visit the other two 9/11 Memorials? You might be interested in this article about how to raise patriotic teens:
