Flight 93 Memorial

We visited the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, today (now several days ago). As one would expect for the national park service, the design of the place is incredible. There’s a visitor center that acts as a small museum/ history lesson dedicated to that day. Its design reminded me of Vicksburg National Military Park, a national monument dedicated to the siege of Vicksburg. There are artifacts from the crash and other 9/11 sites, but what hits hard is a timeline of the flight and information about those on board. Another display shows a mock-up of a row of seats and visitors can hold a speaker to their ear and hear an actual recording of phone calls passengers made to loved ones on the ground after the flight had been taken over. LeeAnn listed to one; I didn’t.

*The Tower of Voices, click of the photo for more information.*

Photography isn’t allowed in the museum part of the visitor center.

*An observation area allows visitors to view the field from inside the visitors center.*

The visitor center is part of a plaza that overlooks a meadow where the actual crash site is. A very dark gray walkway goes though the plaza. It follows Flight 93’s flight path and ends overlooking the meadow.

While beautifully done, the park is somber in a way I’m not sure I can put into words. The emotional impact of the place is so strong, I’m fighting back tears simply writing this.

Fallingwater

Solomons