9/11 Memorial Museum marks dual anniversary of 9/11 and America 250
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As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, September 11 Memorial and Museum President and CEO Elizabeth L. Hillman said this year’s milestone coincides with the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, highlighting the country’s history and resilience.
“America’s 250th birthday this year coincides with the 25th anniversary of September 11, which means what’s happening on our site is very much tied to the history of the country and the recognition of this important milestone,” Hillman told Fox News Digital.
“9/11 is an important part of our nation’s history, but especially as the nation turns 250 years old.”
Nearly 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks, in which hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and an area near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
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Two flags fly over the fence in front of the Teardrop 9/11 Memorial in lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center at sunset on June 13, 2026 in Bayonne, New Jersey. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
Hillman said it’s more important than ever for future generations to learn about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to understand how those attacks helped shape the nation and “where we are today.”
“Now, 25 years have passed since then, if we don’t glorify 9/11 in the eyes of the 100 million Americans who have been born since then or are too young to remember when 9/11 occurred, we will lose the opportunity for them to understand what happened that day, how the world healed, how the nation came together, and how this city and other areas, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, worked to heal afterward,” he said.
Hillman said the nation’s recovery after 9/11 shows that even after a devastating tragedy, people can come together, heal and rebuild.
“I think everyone is hungry for evidence that we can survive hard things,” he said. “Given how the nation has recovered since then, there is nothing like 9/11 to help people realize that it is possible to persevere, to heal, to recover, even in the face of truly unimaginable loss, and that is what 9/11 has the opportunity to teach us.”
Addressing the role of the museum, Hillman stated that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 affected not only New York City but the entire country, calling the museum “a testament to the resilience of the city” and “a testament to the perseverance that allowed us to truly rebuild.”
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Colorful flowers left by mourners at the 911 Memorial honor those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City. (Getty Images)
“At the center of the rebuilt World Trade Center is a memorial to the people killed that day, and it’s actually a testament to what we can do when we come together after this kind of disaster,” he said.
This year, the museum opened the “Our Flag Was Still There” exhibit, featuring flags, artifacts and photographs that tell the stories of resilience of first responders, veterans and Americans who lived through 9/11. The exhibit includes the Ground Zero flag raised by FDNY firefighters, the flag raised over the Pentagon by soldiers and firefighters, a flag raised on the last column of the South Tower, and a flag carried during the mission in which Osama bin Laden was killed.
“This highlights how important the flag was in the process of healing and coming together after 9/11,” Hillman said.
Commemorating 9/11 is especially important at a time when “so many things seem to divide us,” Hillman said.
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Participants hold American flag posters during the Great American State Fair Kickoff Celebration on the National Mall in Washington, DC on June 24, 2026. The Great American State Fair runs through July 10 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
“The opportunity to bring people together around a symbol like the flag and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center after 9/11 is a great opportunity, especially right now,” he said.
Hillman said that on July 4, the museum will place an American flag named after each victim at the memorial, “to commemorate how important the flag was as a symbol of the country on his birthday, but also how important the recovery that occurred and continues to occur after 9/11 as we remember that day on this site.”
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With fall approaching, Hillman said the museum will also begin offering free admission to veterans whose “willingness to serve after 9/11” helped rebuild the World Trade Center and unify the nation.
“If there’s one message that we couldn’t do 25 years ago because we didn’t know enough about what was going to happen next that we think we can amplify now, it’s that so many people are inspired to serve their country by serving in the military,” he said.
