Flight 93 National Memorial
4.9(12K)google
4.8(169)yelp
Senior-FriendlyOutdoorVisitor CenterFreeMust-SeeEducationalHistory
Overview
The Flight 93 National Memorial is a memorial built to commemorate the crash of United Airlines Flight 93, which was one of four aircraft hijacked during the September 11 attacks in 2001. The memorial is located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, with the vast majority in Stonycreek Township, and with a small portion in Shade Township. It is 78 miles (126 km) southeast of Pittsburgh, 122 miles (196 km) west of Harrisburg (the state capital), and 226 miles (364 km) west of Philadelphia.
Practical Info
Every day9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration2-3 hours
Best TimeA profoundly spiritual monument best visited right at 9:00 AM opening from May to October. Spans a massive, silent open meadow where United Flight 93 crashed on September 11; early morning alpine mist blanketing the 93-foot Tower of Voices and the multi-mile white granite Memorial Wall creates an incredibly solemn, powerful setting for reflection.
Getting ThereSituated in the remote farmlands of Shanksville at 6424 Lincoln Highway (US-30). Driving is required: take the PA Turnpike to Exit 110 at Somerset, follow US-219 N, and merge onto US-30 E east for 10 miles. Turn right straight into the federal monument main boulevard gates; expansive, free paved parking plazas border the museum plaza and tower loop.
Travel Tips
- Located at 6424 Lincoln Highway, Shanksville, this solemn memorial enforces an absolute federal ban on civilian drones; the sacred impact site and Memorial Wall zones strictly prohibit pets, loud running, and amplified audio.
- Set upon an exposed, high-elevation plateau, the Tower of Voices zone features zero shade structures or weather pavilions; summer visitors face intense UV radiation while winter excursions suffer severe wind chills, requiring thermal protection.
- Access is via Route 30 onto Memorial Drive; the entire perimeter enforces a strict sunset gate closure. Vehicles must clear the internal driving loops 30 minutes before twilight to avoid security enforcement and potential entrapment inside.
Reviews
Positive
- A deeply moving, somber, and profoundly educational sanctuary; the architecture perfectly fuses artistic beauty with solemn memorial respect.
- Completely free to the public. The monumental Tower of Voices wind-chime structure at the gate creates a soulful, haunting tribute.
- The visitor center exhibits are gripping, preserving the actual final phone recordings from passengers to loved ones, deeply emotional.
- The layout is flawless, with the white marble Wall of Names aligned along the flight path; ADA access is perfect and staff are deeply respectful.
Heads up
- As an intensely solemn site of historical tragedy, the emotional weight is heavy, making it wholly inappropriate for casual amusement-seekers.
- Incredibly remote location out in the Shanksville farmlands; there are no dining options or convenience stores for miles, and cellular service is weak.
- The long walking pathways are entirely open and unshaded, getting scorching hot in summer midday and brutally wind-swept during freezing winters.
- The mileage between the entry Tower of Voices and the central Wall of Names is massive; trying to walk the entire layout is exhausting.