Visiting Flight 93 Memorial

The Pennsylvania Flight 93 Memorial

Flight 93 Memorial is an emotionally heavy stop located in Southwest Pennsylvania. It was built around the crash site of Flight 93 which went down during the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The memorial has several trails on the property and has 3 main areas to visit: the Memorial Plaza, Tower of Voices, and the Visitor Center. This site does a great job of breaking down the events of 9/11 and honoring the brave passengers and crew on Flight 93 who had prevented the terrorists from completing their plan to crash their plane into the Capital.

• Please note that due to the nature of this stop and wanting to be respectful, I took very few photos so this will be a text-heavy post. You ARE allowed to take pictures however, since I would be posting them on my website, I was not comfortable taking photos of the more emotionally charged areas for this article or the people that were visiting.  

Is Flight 93 Memorial Dog Friendly?

Flight 93 Memorial is dog-friendly, though there are a few places where they are not allowed. While on the property, they do need to stay on leash and be well-behaved. Please remember that this is a memorial so your pet’s behavior should be closely monitored and remain respectful. Trash cans are few and far between here so make sure you have an extra bag to carry any and all used poop bags until you can dispose of them properly. Pets are NOT allowed in the buildings or near the Wall of Remembrance.

What is Flight 93 Memorial?

Flight 93 Memorial is the national memorial site dedicated to honoring the 40 passengers and crew that overtook control of their plane from terrorists who had meant to attack the Capital. Here you can learn about the events that lead up to, occurred during, and the aftereffects of the 9/11 attacks that forever changed the United States. There is no fee to visit.

Where to Stay When Visiting the Flight 93 Memorial

Though the memorial is not near any large cities, you won’t have an issue finding a place to spend the night nearby. There are campsites, hotels, and private vacation rentals available in the surrounding area available to rent.

Campsites Near Stoystown Pennsylvania

If you are looking to camp during your stay, there are several public campgrounds in the area. Here are a few of the closest to help you get started with your search:

• Boyers Pond Campground–  starts at $30 per night (pet-friendly)
• Stony Creek Launch Campground– $15 per night/per person (contact for pet policy)
• Shawnee State Park– starts at $22 per night (pet-friendly)

Hotels Near Flight 93 Memorial

Use our booking.com link to find the best hotel for your vacation!

Where to Eat When Visiting the Flight 93 Memorial

There is no restaurant onsite at Flight 93 Memorial but you can find several restaurants right off Lincoln Highway.

• The Alley Sports Bar
• Shorty’s Restaurant and Bar
• Hank’s Diner

Flight 93 Memorial

This memorial is dedicated to remembering the heroes on Flight 93 that stopped the terrorists that had hijacked the plane from completing their plan of crashing into the Capitol. It is made up of three main sections: the Tower of Voices, Memorial Plaza, and the Visitor Center. Each stop has its own unique impact on sharing this story and showing the country’s appreciation of the bravery of the passengers and crew members that were onboard that day.

Flight 93 Memorial Price and Hours

There is no fee to visit the Flight 93 Memorial. The grounds are open to visitors every day of the year from sunup to sundown. The visitor center is open 9 am – 5 pm but is closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Flight 93 Memorial Gift Shop

Like most national sites and parks, the visitor center does have a small gift shop area when you first walk in. This is where you can speak to rangers, get your national park passport stamped, and find mementos to remind you of your visit.

How Long Should You Spend at Flight 93 Memorial?

The length of time you will spend at this memorial will depend on several factors. IT is an emotionally heavy spot, so this may greatly influence the amount of time you will spend here. If you are traveling with small or hyperactive children, you will also want to limit your time here as they do request calm and courteous behavior in certain areas.

Ultimately, I would set aside about 30 min to 1 hour for the Tower of Voices and about 30 minutes to see the Wall of Names. The visitor center can take 1-2 hours depending on how thoroughly you go through the exhibits and if you want to take breaks during this time. Plan on spending even more time if you would like to walk the trails. 

What to Expect at the Flight 93 Memorial

When visiting Flight 93 Memorial there are 3 areas you will want to see: the Tower of Voices, Memorial Plaza, and the Visitor Center. All three have a unique way of honoring the lives lost on 9/11 with a focus on the passengers and crew on Flight 93. These sections are a bit spread out, but they each have their own parking lot to make it easier to drive to each location.

Since this is a memorial for a present-day tragedy, there is signage requesting visitors to be calm and respectful in some areas. This is an emotionally heavy stop, and some areas may not be appropriate for everyone.

The park is also a trash-free zone, which means anything you bring in must be taken out. There are no trash cans in the park, so make sure you have a way to carry any wrappers or trash back with you to dispose of properly.

Flight 93 Visitor Center

The Flight 93 Memorial Visitor Center has an information desk located in the gift shop as well as an exhibit space that covers the events of 9/11. These exhibits are made up of all types of media; audio, text, photos, etc. and some exhibits are interactive. It starts out with what was happening first thing that morning and takes you all the way through to what was discovered during the crash investigations.

This area was very heavy emotionally and some parts of the exhibit required my husband and I to step away for a brief break before continuing. One area that was particularly difficult was the voice recording of passengers and crew from that day and seeing some of the personal items that belonged to the passengers.

Behind the visitor center is the Flight Path Overlook where you can get a clear overview of the crash site.

*Be aware that pets are not allowed in the visitor center and take note of the signs in this area reminding visitors to be respectful upon entering the building.

Tower of Voices

The Tower of Voices is a unique monument created from wind chime towers.  Every aspect of this memorial had been thought out from how tall it is, to the pattern of landscaping around it. It is located the farthest distance from the main visitor center and but it does have its own parking lot.

The monument is 93 feet tall (for Flight 93) and has 40 different chimes (representing the 40 lives of passengers and crew lost). The trees around the chimes are planted in concentric rings to mimic the sound waves coming from the tower. I highly suggest taking a moment to read the signage to get a better understanding of how much thought went into every stage of creating the Tower.

The wind chimes in the Tower of Voices can only be activated by wind speeds between 12-15 mph. Keep this in mind if you are planning a visit and want to experience the chimes firsthand. If the weather is not cooperating during your visit, you can listen to a recording of the chimes HERE.

*Pets are allowed on all of the walkways in this area.

Memorial Plaza 

The Memorial Plaza has a visitor shelter, an area for programs and ceremonies, as well as a walkway that leads to the Wall of Names. To get to this section of the Flight 93 Memorial, you can either walk the trail from the Visitor Center or drive to the Plaza’s parking lot.

Once you leave the parking lot, you will first arrive at the Forecourt and Visitor Shelter. There are multiple signs in this area that tell the story of Flight 93. Nearby you will see several benches and a flagpole where the scheduled ranger programs and different ceremonies are held.

This is also where you will find Volunteers and Park Rangers to answer any questions you may have and direct you to the area where you can write and leave messages regarding your thoughts and feelings during your visit or leave words of support for others.

Just past this area, you will find the quarter-mile walkway that runs parallel to the crash site. You will be able to see the damaged trees and the gap in the tree line from the crash. The large Sandstone boulder in that area marks the edge of the impact site.

The crash site itself is closed to the public, though family members of the crash victims are allowed to enter that area. About halfway down the walkway, you’ll also see an area set aside for people to leave tributes for those that had lost their lives that day.

At the end of the walkway is the Wall of Names and the Ceremonial Gate. The Wall of Names is made up of 40 separate marble stones, each inscribed with the name of one of the crew members or passengers that had died during the crash.  

*Pets are not allowed on the walkway, in the plaza, or near the Wall of Names. You can walk your pets on the grass parallel to the walkway.

Nature Trails

There are three nature trails on the grounds where you can spend time outside to stretch your legs a bit more or just to contemplate your visit. These trails are all pet friendly.

• Western Overlook Trail .6 miles
• Allée 1.2 mile
• Trail of Remembrance .5 miles

Nearby Attractions:

For ideas of places to visit in the surrounding area, check out these stops.

Light-hearted Attractions Near the Flight 93 Memorial:

• Berkeley Springs State Park
• Hershey Park and Chocolate World
• Living Dead Museum

Dog-friendly Attractions near Flight 93 Memorial:

• Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
• Monongahela Forest (spots like Seneca Rocks or Cranberry Glades Botanical Area)
• Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Why You Should Visit:

The events of 9/11 were tragic and forever changed the course of the United States. Visiting sites like this is important to get a better understanding of the past so we can appreciate where we are today. This memorial is important to show that the actions of even a smaller group of people can make a huge difference.

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