The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was designed to capture that moment in time at 9:37 a.m. on 9/11/2001 when 184 lives became intertwined for eternity. On the first anniversary of the attack a granite marker was laid at Arlington National Cemetery. In September 2002 after Pentagon repairs were completed, the America’s Heroes Memorial and chapel were located where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building. In March 2003 a worldwide design competition judged by a jury of highly respected design professionals, family members, and Washington dignitaries, including two former Secretaries of Defense received 1126 submissions. The winning design by the Philadelphia team of Beckman and Kaseman consisted of 184 illuminated benches, arranged according to the victims’ ages, in a landscaped 1.93-acre plot.
Elegant and simple, the Pentagon Memorial serves as a timeline of the victims’ ages, spanning from the youngest victim, three-year-old Dana Falkenberg, who was on board American Airlines Flight 77, to the oldest, John D. Yamnicky, 71, a Navy veteran, who was also aboard Flight 77 that morning.
Each bench is engraved with the name of a victim. Each victim’s age and location at the time of the attack have been permanently inscribed into the Memorial The benches representing the victims that were inside the Pentagon are arranged so those reading the names will face the Pentagon’s south facade, where the plane hit; benches dedicated to victims aboard the plane are arranged so that those reading the engraved name will be facing skyward along the path the plane traveled. A shallow lighted pool of flowing water is positioned under each memorial bench. If more than one member of a family died during the attack, family names are listed in the reflecting pool under the bench, in addition to the separate benches that have been created for each individual.
A wall along the edge of the Memorial begins at a height of 3 inches and rises to a height of 71 inches (the ages of the youngest and oldest victim of the attack). Approximately 85 crepe myrtle trees are planted on the memorial grounds. The Memorial was dedicated September 11, 200.8
There is a 24-minute audio tour providing a narrative of the events of September 11, 2001, at the Pentagon, the history of the Pentagon, and the purpose of the Pentagon Memorial’s design. Simply call (202) 741-1004 at the entrance and the audio will lead you on a tour from there to various points of interest throughout the park. You may also choose to listen to the audio prior to or following your tour of the Memorial.
The Memorial is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The Pentagon Memorial was designed to be handicap accessible. Hard path surfaces cut through the park parallel to the age lines in six locations, culminating in wheelchair nooks in the perimeter bench. The restroom facilities located outside of the Memorial Gateway are handicap accessible. The restrooms are available daily from 7:00 am – 10:00 p.m. The Memorial and the Gateway are non-smoking areas.
Public Access to the Pentagon Memorial: The Memorial is accessible to the public by Metro, private vehicle, and bus. However, due to parking constraints, the public is urged to use Metro as the primary means to come to the Pentagon and the Pentagon Memorial.
Handicapped Parking is available in Lane 1 of the Pentagon South Parking lot, adjacent to the Memorial Park.
Metro: The Blue and Yellow lines of Metro serve the Pentagon from the Pentagon Metro stop. There are also many bus routes that stop at the Pentagon Metro Transit Center. From there, you may walk to the Pentagon Memorial. You may also use the Pentagon City Metro stop and walk to the Pentagon Memorial.
The Arlington Cemetery Metro Stop may be another option for tourists wishing to visit the September 11 group marker at the cemetery and the Pentagon Memorial.
Please go to https://pentagontours.osd.mil/Tours/ for more information on public tours.