Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center Dedication and September 11 Observance

Date: August 12, 2015
Contact: Mike Litterst, [phone]

Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center Dedication,
September 11 Commemoration to Honor
the Heroes of Flight 93

 

 ~ New Visitor Center to be Dedicated September 10,
Providing a Compelling Introduction to the Story of Flight 93 ~

~ NBC News Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski Will Speak at
September 11 Observance ~

SHANKSVILLE, Pa.  –Flight 93 National Memorial will honor the 40 passengers and crew of United Flight 93 on the 14th anniversary of September 11 with two days of special programs, including the dedication of the new visitor center on Thursday, September 10 and the annual 9/11 observance on Friday, September 11.

Thursday, September 10
The dedication of the Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center Complex will take place on Thursday, September 10 at 10 a.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. Limited seating will be available for the approximately hour-long ceremony and guests are permitted to bring their own chairs;no backpacks or large bags are permitted. The memorial will open at 7 a.m.;visitors should arrive early to allow ample time for the shuttle ride from the parking area to the visitor center. (Additional details of the dedication ceremony will be released as participants are confirmed.)

With the opening of the visitor center, architect Paul Murdoch's vision for the Flight 93 memorial will be nearly complete. The exhibits add an intellectual experience to the emotional experience of walking along and viewing the crash site itself. They also mark a significant change to the visitor experience at the site, completing the architect's vision for how visitors move through the landscape and are introduced to the crash site.

On September 10 and 11, admission to the visitor center is via advanced reservation tickets ONLY. Starting September 12, tickets will be available by both advance reservation and same-day distribution at the visitor center. Advance tickets may be reserved starting August 27.  

Also opening to the public for the first time on September 10 is the Learning Center, a multi-purpose space which will be used for educational programming, rotating exhibits, and special events;a two and a quarter mile system of pedestrian trails;and the dramatic flight path walkway and overlook. 

The Luminaria Program will take place on Thursday, September 10 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. An array of 40 candle lanterns will be placed at the Wall of Names, honoring the passengers and crew of Flight 93, and approximately 3,000 luminaria will be placed on the memorial plaza, serving as a silent and moving tribute to the total and tragic loss of life in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. 

Friday, September 11
NBC News Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski will be the principal speaker for the September 11 Observance which will begin at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, September 11 at the visitor center. At 10:03 a.m. –the moment Flight 93 crashed –the names of the passengers and crew members will be read and Bells of Remembrance will be rung in their memory. Gordon Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93, will also speak during the ceremony. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. No backpacks or large bags are permitted. Limited seating will be available for the approximately hour-long ceremony, although guests are permitted to bring their own chairs. The memorial will open at 7 a.m.;visitors should arrive early to allow ample time for the shuttle ride from the parking area to the visitor center.

Updated information on these events will be available on the memorial website at www.nps.gov/flni

If You Go
Flight 93 National Memorial is a tribute to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 and is a place to explore and discover their inspiring story of courage and hope. A 3.5 mile scenic drive leads visitors from the entrance at US Route 30 to the Memorial Plaza at the crash site where visitors may view panels in an outdoor exhibit area and learn more through cell phone tours;talk with Park Rangers and volunteer Ambassadors;participate in interpretive programs;view the field where Flight 93 crashed, which is the final resting place of the passengers and crew;and walk along the Wall of Names. The Memorial Plaza is fully accessible;for specific details, contact the park at [phone]. 

The memorial is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry at 6:30) from May 1 to October 31; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry at 4:30) from November 1 to May 1. Admission is free of charge. Flight 93 National Memorial is located 20 miles northeast of Somerset and 24 miles west of Bedford;the entrance is located at 6424 Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) in Stoystown, PA  15563.

NPS

About Flight 93 National Memorial
On Sept. 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act. The Act created a new national park unit to commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our nation's capital. The memorial is outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew. For more information about the Flight 93 National Memorial, please visit www.nps.gov/flni