September 11th is a date that few will forget, a day, one could say without hyperbole, that changed the world. As we have learned during our time in New York, the destruction of the two towers changed the entire shape of the southern tip of Manhattan, and structures are still being built up to this day. The actual site of the World Trade Center, however, has now become a memorial, which is surrounded by the newly-constructed World Trade Center, the most prominent feature of which is One World Trade, a 1,776 foot skyscraper.

While the new skyscrapers are gleaming modern buildings, the memorial itself is quite moving. In the footprint of each of the two towers is a square cut out of the ground, with water cascading down all four sides to the bottom of the square, where it disappears into a smaller square in the center of the fountain, into the abyss. Surrounding the square is black stone, with the names of all of the victims of the terrorist attack etched into it. The memorial still places a flower next to each victim’s name on his or her birthday–seeing the flowers is a heart-wrenching experience. The design of the memorial lends a sense of emptiness to the space, and the names of the victims in such a prominent place makes the impact of the attack more immediate. Above all, the memorial evokes powerful feelings of sadness.

While we have only visited the memorial, there is also a museum on the site that tells the story of the day, gives personal accounts from different people present at the scene, and has hundreds of items on display. You can also visit One World Trade and ascend to the observation platform at the top of the building.

The National September 11 Memorial commemorates one of the worst days in recent United States’ history and should be one of the places you visit while in New York. A visit can take at least half a day if you decide to visit One World Trade and the museum, or it can take only a few minutes as you walk around the memorial. Whatever you decide to do, we highly recommend visiting in some capacity. Just make sure you bring a tissue.