September 11: Remembrance and Reflection

To mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the museum created a special experience for visitors to view 50 objects from the three sites—New York City; the Pentagon; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania—as well as recent acquisitions related to how American lives have changed since then. The objects were shown on open tables, without cases, and with limited interpretation. Museum staff were available to discuss the objects or answer questions, and visitors were able to leave their stories by posting comment cards.

Artifacts included airplane fragments, a door from a crushed FDNY fire truck, a Pentagon map from the building’s first floor, and objects recovered from offices. Photographs from the museum’s collection provided a context for each site. Also featured were video excerpts from the Smithsonian Channel documentary, 9/11: Stories in Fragments, and a video presentation ABC News made for the museum on the one-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on America.

Online Resources

Learn about the museum's ongoing efforts to document the September 11 attacks and their aftermath, or see our collection of related artifacts.