Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the stories of that day remain deeply connected to places across New York City. The Intrepid Museum is one of those places.
In the aftermath of the attacks, Intrepid took on a role far removed from its history as an aircraft carrier. The Museum became a temporary headquarters for the FBI’s New York Field Office, which had been located at the World Trade Center.
More than 500 FBI agents worked around the clock aboard Intrepid as they coordinated the massive investigation into the attacks. The Museum complex also supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local emergency responders.
For a place built around stories of service, Intrepid became a place of service once again. The ship and Museum complex provided a secure space where those responding to an unprecedented national crisis could carry out their work.
That history remains part of the Museum today.
At the southwest end of Pier 86, the Intrepid Museum’s 9/11 Memorial features two pieces of steel recovered from the World Trade Center. Standing 12 feet tall and weighing approximately 3,000 pounds, the parallel I-beams point toward the sky, recalling the Twin Towers and serving as a lasting reminder of the lives lost and the extraordinary response that followed.
The Museum’s connection to September 11 also extends to USS New York. Named in the aftermath of the attacks, the ship was constructed with 7.5 tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center. Its commissioning at Pier 86 in 2011 created another lasting connection between the waterfront, the city and the events of September 11.
Twenty-five years later, the meaning of service continues to evolve.
Each year, the Intrepid Museum serves as the location for New York Cares’ 9/11 Day of Service, bringing volunteers together on the ship to give back to their community. This year, as the nation marks the 25th anniversary, volunteers will gather aboard Intrepid to help pack more than 3 million meals for New Yorkers facing food insecurity.
The connection between these moments is simple, but powerful. In 2001, Intrepid became a place where people came together to respond to a crisis. Today, it remains a place where people come together in service to others.
That is one of the most meaningful ways to remember September 11. Not only by looking back, but by carrying forward the spirit of service, compassion and resilience that emerged in its aftermath.
We will never forget.
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