9/11 Museum Visitor Rules
Security screening
Screening covers every museum visitor: magnetometers, bag inspection and hand-wanding on request. The line can take a while at midday. The guided walks that include the museum pass through the same checkpoint. The arrival page allows for it in the 15-minute rule.
Bags and the coat check
One bag per person, no larger than 8 inches by 17 inches by 19 inches. Anything larger is refused or sent to the mandatory coat check, at the Concourse Lobby and Pavilion Auditorium levels. The walking tours say the same: large bags must be checked, and the small-group walk lists luggage and large bags as not included. The bags page repeats the dimensions.
Prohibited items
Prohibited on the whole property: alcohol, weapons, glass bottles, paint and marking instruments, noise-making devices, rope or wire, controlled substances, and anything staff deem inappropriate.
Photography rules
Personal photography for private use is allowed on the plaza and in the museum, without flash. It is not allowed at all in the Historical Exhibition, In Memoriam, the auditorium and the security areas. Professional photography needs authorisation. The inside page shows where each gallery sits.
Food, drink and the café
No eating or drinking except in the café, which is on the atrium terrace of the pavilion, open 9 am to 6 pm. Water for the outdoor walks is carried, not consumed inside.
Strollers and accessibility
Standard strollers are allowed inside; oversized and jogging strollers are not. The museum is fully accessible, with elevators and escalators, a wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible restrooms and manual wheelchairs free on a first-come basis. Service animals are welcome on the plaza and in the museum. The children page covers the family side.
Conduct on the plaza and the temperature below
There is no formal dress code. The memorial asks for respectful conduct: no excessive noise, no commercial activity, no defacing, no smoking, and no activity intended to draw a crowd. Inside, the museum is kept at 68 to 72°F, so a layer is sensible in any season.
A bag inside the 8 by 17 by 19 inch limit skips the coat-check stop on the way in and on the way out. A day bag fits; most cabin cases do not.
Frequently asked questions
Can you bring a backpack into the 9/11 Museum?
One bag no larger than 8 by 17 by 19 inches. Larger bags go to the mandatory coat check. See bags and security.
Is there a dress code at the 9/11 Memorial?
No formal one. Respectful conduct is asked for, and comfortable shoes suit the walks; see dress code.
Are strollers allowed in the 9/11 Museum?
Standard strollers yes; oversized and jogging strollers no.
Can you eat in the 9/11 Museum?
Only in the café on the pavilion’s atrium terrace, open 9 am to 6 pm.