We’re excited to announce the launch of our new 9/11 Memorial Tour, Celebrating Heroes which is now ready for booking. Tours begin on June 21st, with tickets available now. The National September 11th Memorial is located on 8 acres in downtown Manhattan, once the site of two of the world’s most recognizable buildings and, of course, the attacks of 9/11. Since its opening in September 2011, millions of people have visited. While over the years many thousands of visitors have gone on walking tours of the Memorial, none have experienced what this unique tour has to offer. Our tour takes visitors back to the moment that the idea for the Twin Towers emerged before rising up to dominate the lower Manhattan landscape.

We begin with the original blueprints drawn in 1967, stepping back in time to view the exact locations and the original architectural elements of the building complex. Moving through the years, we take visitors along the riveting story of the evolution of the World Trade Center complex. Guests will stand in the shadows of the buildings’ legacies, visiting precise locations to learn the stories of the heroes who saved thousands of lives while, in many cases, sacrificing their own. This tour will utilize precise measurements around the buildings’ footprint to bring the story of these giant structures to life in a brand new way.

rose and flag at the 9/11 memorial

9/11 Memorial Tour, Celebrating Heroes

hands on the September 11 memorial

  • 9/11 Memorial
  • 9/11 memorial
  • 9/11 memorial
  • September 11 Memorial and the oculus
  • September 11 Memorial
  • the oculus
  • 9/11 memorial at night
  • burnt firefighter's hat

survivor tree

Participants on this tour will learn the personal stories of the 9/11 heroes who saved thousands of lives, hear about “Big Mike” of the FDNY and his harrowing elevator rescue, follow the footsteps of firefighter Stephen Siller into immortality, discover the exact locations of the original WTC architectural elements, see blueprints specifically created for this tour, not available anywhere else, learn the true meaning of the memorial pool design and the arrangement of the names, and discover the surprising story of the survivor tree: a model of resilience.

9/11 memorial

9/11 Memorial Tour, Celebrating Heroes

This unique 9/11 Memorial tour was created by Ed Welter, a licensed NYC sightseeing guide and owner of a construction management company for 34 years. 
Ed has done various tours on the 9/11 Memorial, The Woolworth building, The 5 points along with many other lower Manhattan sites for over 10 years. These two career paths have converged to inspire him along with longtime friend Lisa Kleist to develop the concept of using the original WTC blueprints, and the numbered memorial panels that surround the memorial pools, to identify architectural features and events that took place on September 11th, 2001: the day New York – and the United States – stood still. Ed’s speciality is explaining  how the Twin Towers were built and why they collapsed. In addition to his long career in construction and leading walking tours, Ed has been heavily involved with supporting the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers foundation by both fundraising, as well as donating his skills to the construction division of the foundation. Tunnel to Towers builds smart homes for catastrophically injured servicemen and women among their many charitable programs. For every ticket sold, $1 will be donated to The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers foundation 

rose and flag at the 9/11 memorial

In addition to his long involvement with the National September 11th Memorial and Museum Ed has been heavily involved with supporting the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers foundation by both fundraising, as well as donating his skills to the construction division of the foundation. Tunnel to Towers builds smart homes for catastrophically injured servicemen and women among their many charitable programs. For every ticket sold, $1 will be donated to The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers foundation 

firefighter kneeling in front of 1 WTC

9/11 memorial

9/11 Memorial Tour, Celebrating Heroes

This unique 9/11 Memorial Tour: Celebrating Heroes journey ranges from $29 – $35 per person. Untapped New York Insiders get $5 off. If you’re not a member, join now (and use the code JOINUS to get your first month free).

Next, read about the top 10 secrets of the 9/11 Memorial in NYC!