Pay Your Respects at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial

The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial honors the 184 people whose lives were lost at the Pentagon and on American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11, 2001, with each of the 184 memorial units commemorating the life of one of the victims, organized by the year the victim was born. The design is quietly brilliant: units honoring victims who were on board the aircraft face the direction of the plane’s approach to the Pentagon, while those honoring Pentagon victims face the building’s south facade — the point of impact. Each unit contains a small reflecting pool that catches and holds light in the evening hours, and the surrounding grove of 85 crape myrtles — which will eventually grow to 30 feet — gives the space a living, changing quality that deepens with return visits.

The memorial is free and open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with restrooms available daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. A free 24-minute audio tour — accessible by calling (202) 741-1004 at the memorial entrance — guides visitors through the design, the events of the day, and the history of the Pentagon itself. A Visitor Education Center is now in development, with groundbreaking scheduled for September 10, 2026 and a planned opening in 2029, ensuring this story continues to be told for generations born after the attacks. The best way to arrive is via the Blue or Yellow Metro line to the Pentagon stop. Learn more at pentagonmemorial.org.