Ground Zero Museum Workshop NYC: Hold Artifacts Yourself
Holding the rubble: what the official Ground Zero photographer kept
You spend 90 minutes walking through 100 images and artifacts from Ground Zero, listening to audio stories in your choice of four languages, and holding pieces of steel and glass from the Twin Towers. The tour includes a 15-minute video and a museum guide, and it's designed to be accessible to children without being graphic. You leave understanding the recovery period in a way that reading about it never quite achieves.
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Step-by-step itinerary
Visit Ground Zero Museum Workshop
- Travel to Meatpacking District
- Enter Ground Zero Museum Workshop
- View 100 images and artifacts
- Watch 15-minute video presentation
- Hold World Trade Center steel and glass
- Learn about FDNY efforts and recovery
- Explore non-graphic, kid-friendly exhibits
The experience
You're picking up a shard of steel or a piece of window glass, actually holding it in your hands, before you've been in the Ground Zero Museum Workshop for ten minutes. That's the thing that sets this place apart from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum a few blocks away. The museum sits in the Meatpacking District on West 14th Street, a five-minute subway ride from the site itself, and it's small enough that tours cap at 25 people. The whole experience runs about 90 minutes, and it moves through 100 images and artifacts photographed or collected by Gary Marlon Suson, the only all-access photographer allowed at Ground Zero during the recovery.
The tour includes a BOSE audio guide in four languages (Spanish, French, Italian, and English), and you move through the space at your own pace while the guide walks you through the story behind each image. You'll see the Frozen Clock, stopped at 10:02 a.m. when the South Tower collapsed, and the charred Genesis 11 Bible page pulled from the rubble. There's a 15-minute video built into the experience, and the whole thing is designed to be honest without being graphic. The museum doesn't shy away from what happened, but it doesn't sensationalize it either. Kids come through here (it's parent-approved and kid-friendly), and they leave understanding something real about that day and the nine-month recovery that followed.
The space itself is intimate, almost claustrophobic in the best way. Suson's 3-D photo installations put you inside the "hole" at Ground Zero, and you're standing in front of images taken by someone who was actually there, documenting the FDNY Honor Guard and the work of finding the missing. It's a different experience from a typical museum visit. You're not reading placards from a distance. You're holding artifacts, looking at photographs taken by the official photographer, and listening to the stories behind them. The museum has won the Top 25 Museums in the USA award twice, and it's the only 9/11 museum in New York where you can actually touch what you're learning about.
Bags and backpacks stay at the front (security and space concerns), so travel light. Cameras are fine, but no video or phone calls inside. The museum is wheelchair accessible, strollers are welcome, and service animals are allowed. It's about a 15-minute walk from Chelsea Market if you want to grab food before or after, or you can head up to the High Line Park, which runs right past the neighborhood.
What’s included
- Your 90-minute tour includes seating, a walk-through of 9/11 artifacts with a museum guide, the opportunity to hold and photograph rare artifacts, a BOSE self-guided audio tour in your choice of four languages, and free water.
- The tour also includes a 15-minute video.
- Bags are stored at the museum entrance during the tour.
Before you book
Prices and times updated 6 days ago
Operated by 9/11 Museum Workshop: 100 Images & Artifacts Exhibit
Is this one for you?This works well if you want to understand the recovery period and the work of the FDNY in depth, and you're willing to spend time with artifacts and stories rather than moving quickly through a larger space. The small group size and audio guide mean you move at your own pace, which is what makes it possible to actually absorb what you're seeing.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.
Is this the same as the 9/11 Memorial & Museum?
No. The Ground Zero Museum Workshop is a separate, smaller museum in the Meatpacking District. It focuses on the recovery period and the work of the FDNY, and it's the only place in NYC where you can hold artifacts from the site.
How long does the tour take?
About 90 minutes, including a 15-minute video and time to move through the exhibits at your own pace with the audio guide.
Can I take photos of the artifacts?
Yes, photography is allowed. Video recording and phone calls are not permitted inside the museum.
Do I need to bring a bag?
You can, but all backpacks and bags must be stored at the front of the museum during the tour due to security and space concerns.
What languages is the audio guide available in?
English, Spanish, French, and Italian. The audio guide is included with your tour.
Is the museum wheelchair accessible?
Yes, it is wheelchair accessible. Strollers are also welcome, and service animals are allowed.
How far is it from Ground Zero?
About five minutes by subway (the E train, four stops from the World Trade Center station).
Ground Zero Museum Workshop NYC: Hold Artifacts Yourself
1h 30m · EN
from US$ 34.50 per person
4.69483 reviewsVerified traveler reviews via our booking provider