9/11 Museum CEO Marks Twin Milestones as America Turns 250

Elizabeth L. Hillman, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, said America's 250th anniversary carries particular weight this year because it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The attacks — carried out by hijackers who struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania — killed nearly 3,000 people. Hillman told Fox News Digital that events at the museum's Lower Manhattan site are now directly tied to the nation's broader historical reckoning.

A Generation That Doesn't Remember

The generational gap is central to the museum's current mission. Hillman said roughly 100 million Americans were either born after September 11, 2001 or were too young to retain memories of the attacks, and she warned that without deliberate effort to elevate the story, a critical window for understanding will close. Her emphasis is not only on the day itself but on what came after: the recovery, the convergence of a divided country around a common loss, and the physical rebuilding of lower Manhattan.

She described the rebuilt World Trade Center as "a testament to the resilience of the city" and said the museum's core argument — that recovery from catastrophic loss is possible — is one she believes Americans are actively seeking. "There's nothing like 9/11 to help people realize, given how the nation has recovered since, that it is possible to persevere," she said.

"Our Flag Was Still There"

This year, the museum opened an exhibition titled "Our Flag Was Still There," built around flags, artifacts, and photographs connected to first responders, veterans, and civilians who lived through the attacks. Anchor objects include the Ground Zero flag raised by FDNY firefighters, a flag draped over the Pentagon by soldiers and firefighters, a flag hoisted over the last column of the South Tower, and a flag carried during the mission that killed Usama bin Laden. Hillman said the exhibition shows how the American flag became a focal point for national healing in the months and years following the attacks.

On July 4, the museum placed an American flag at each victim's name on the memorial pools, linking the 250th birthday observance to the site's ongoing commemoration.

Free Admission for Veterans This Fall

Beginning this fall, the museum will offer free admission to veterans. Hillman framed the policy as recognition of the military service that 9/11 directly inspired — noting that with 25 years of perspective, the museum can now document how many Americans enlisted in direct response to the attacks. She said that story could not have been told clearly in the immediate aftermath; it required time to observe what the day set in motion.