Updates on visiting 911 memorial in NYC?
 

I know that you should get advance tickets, but when I look on their website I see absolutely NO times when they are NOT available. There are up to 7 of us thinking of going this Sunday morning --- not sure how many will. But no times are sold out so I'm wondering if that's now pretty standard and if we can just arrive. Has the "crowd" and "sold out" situation ended? Think we'll be safe on Sunday morning if we just show up?

That's typical.. They rarely "sell out" but often fill up a couple of hours in advance; the crowds have definitely not evaporated completely, but I don't think it's as bad as it was in the beginning ... with the opening of the museum in May, however, I expect wait times to increase again dramatically, though by then it should be for the museum not for the memorial plaza. But if it's raining on Sunday, I think you are going to be pretty safe and may not even have to wait.

When my partner took a large group of family there during Christmas, they made their reservation the night before, but there was a wait for walk-up tickets (not a huge one, but not like 30 minutes either). There are loads of kids in town now for Spring Break, and it seems to be a very popular destination for them (since it's free and, arguably, "educational"). However, since the reservations only cost $2, it seems a small price to pay to ensure you don't have to wait in the rain.

You can also buy combo tickets that include a NY Waterways Ferry and the site reservation if you want to go from Midtown.

It's too bad you can't wait until May, when the fences will probably be down.

Hmmm, maybe you're right Doug. I've put it off this long, why not two more months and do the museum also.

Just remember that there will be a lot of pent-up demand to see this museum, so tickets will be difficult to come by and crowds are going to be especially heavy well into the fall. In a way, you may benefit from not waiting.

For me, I didn't really find the memorial that affecting (just a tad depressing) and will never visit the museum. I went once and would probably never go back again. But I realize the draw; it's just not for me.

We went this past Friday with 10 AM tickets (opens at 10). Walk ups had little delay, got into square probably 10 - 15 minutes after us. I had not done my homework and thought the museum must be open by now. We had gone down about two years ago and it was a mob scene and couldn't get in. Went to the walkway in the building across the street and saw pretty much the same as we did going into the park.

We went this past Friday with 10 AM tickets (opens at 10). Walk ups had little delay, got into square probably 10 - 15 minutes after us. I had not done my homework and thought the museum must be open by now. We had gone down about two years ago and it was a mob scene and couldn't get in. Went to the walkway in the building across the street and saw pretty much the same as we did going into the park.

I went last month and the walk up line was essentially nonexistent - 7 or 8 people - who had to wait a couple of minutes longer than those w/ tickets. But a Sunday might be a lot different.

HI NeoPatrick.

Tickets are now on sale for the museum - opening in May.

better yet, conde nast is paying for anyone who wants to go on opening day (opening day for the general public) on May 21.

see here:
http://visit.911memorial.org/WebStor...CG=cnd1&C=cnd2

Of course you can make a donation to help the museum since you are getting a free ticket, and there are tickets available for all entry times that day as of when I checked a few minutes ago.

I think they will keep count on the crowd, esp on opening day of the museum.

I was at the memorial a wk after it opened, and although the tickets were all sold for the day we were there, it did not feel crowded at all. But that was all outdoors.

Of course, none of us have any idea exactly how the museum is set up, what the real crowd flow will be from exhibit to exhibit, etc. But having had some experience with the process of the memorial and museum (I have been a donator from the beginning) I can say that the plans all along have taken crowd control into account.

I don't think the fences around the memorial will come down until after the museum opens, so crowds will probably still be an issue in late May. Later in the summer, I think the fences will come down, and that will improve the visitation experience.

The fences around the perimeter of the memorial area have never been an issue that detracted from our experience in the 6 times we have visited the memorial.

I'm not saying they detract. I'm saying they require you to make a reservation and go through security to enter the plaza. Once those fences come down, the plaza itself is going to be an open public plaza, and you will not have to go through security unless you visit the museum itself.