Is the Flight 93 Memorial worth it?

The Flight 93 National Memorial is not convenient to get to, but it is well worth your time. Plan on spending at least three hours for the full experience and if you are lucky enough to get good weather, make sure to walk the loop. The exhibits are excellent. They are both poignant and informative.



The Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, is widely considered a profoundly moving and essential visit for anyone interested in American history. Unlike the dense urban memorials in NYC or DC, this site offers a somber, quiet atmosphere that reflects the "hallowed ground" nature of the crash site. The Visitor Center is highly praised for its meticulous storytelling, using a minute-by-minute timeline, audio recordings of passengers' final phone calls, and recovered artifacts to illustrate the immense bravery of the 40 passengers and crew. Walking along the Memorial Plaza to the "Wall of Names" provides a visceral sense of the sacrifice made to prevent a further tragedy in Washington, D.C. Visitors often report that the experience is emotionally taxing but rewarding, offering a deep sense of gratitude and perspective. Even though it is located in a rural area, the thoroughness of the museum and the serene beauty of the "Tower of Voices" wind chime monument make it well worth the detour for travelers in the region.

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The plane crashed in an open field next to a wooded area in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania at 10:03:11 am. The nearest town is Shanksville. Flight 93 struck the ground at a 40 degree angle almost upside down, hitting right wing and nose first, at a speed of between 563-580 miles per hour.

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There is a small picnic area where visitors to Flight 93 National Memorial can have a bite to eat. It is located at the Visitor Center parking lot on the side farthest from the buildings (where buses and RVs park). There are six tables, but no grills.

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The hijackers inside the cockpit are heard yelling No! over the sound of breaking glass. The final spoken words on the recorder were a calm voice in English instructing, Pull it up. The plane then crashed into an empty field in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes' flying time from Washington, D.C.

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Any plane debris there was mixed with hundreds of floors of concrete and steel, office furnishings and materials, and bodies — all of which complicated the case, investigators have said. Flight 93 wasn't lost to the crash. It was just buried, McCall said.

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In what likely was his dying act Flight 93 pilot and hero Jason Dahl managed to push a button which, unbeknownst to the hijackers, caused everything said in, and all sounds from near the cockpit to be broadcast. And of course, there were some 30 phone calls were placed from Flight 93 that day.

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The youngest flight passenger who died was Christine Hanson, a 2-year-old on her way to Disneyland on United Airlines Flight 175. The oldest was Robert Norton, 82, who was on American Airlines Flight 11. The 19 hijackers from the militant Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda also died.

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