Flight 93 National Memorial

Flight 93 National Memorial
Company type	National memorial
Industry	Memorial, tourism
Founded	2002
Headquarters	Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, United States
Area served	United States
Owner	National Park Service
Website	www.nps.gov/flni

The Flight 93 National Memorial honors the tragedy of United Airlines Flight 93, one of the four planes hijacked during the September 11 attacks in 2001. Situated mainly within Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, with a smaller section in Shade Township, Pennsylvania, the memorial is positioned southeast of Pittsburgh and west of Harrisburg.

Created to pay tribute to the passengers and crew who disrupted the terrorists' plans by resisting the hijackers, an initial temporary memorial was established shortly after the crash. The first segment of the permanent memorial was unveiled on September 10, 2011. Its design is an adaptation of Crescent of Embrace, conceived by architects Paul and Milena Murdoch.

A visitor center constructed from concrete and glass, offering views over the crash location and the white marble Wall of Names, opened on September 10, 2015. Both this observation area and the wall are aligned directly beneath Flight 93’s original trajectory, reinforcing the memorial's meaningful connection to the incident.

United Airlines Flight 93

Among the four hijacked aircraft on September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 was unique in that it never reached its presumed target, thought to be either the United States Capitol or the White House in Washington, D.C. Upon learning about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon through cell phone calls, passengers and crew chose to confront the hijackers. The plane ultimately crashed in a field in Stonycreek Township approximately northwest of Washington, D.C., resulting in the deaths of all 33 passengers, seven crew members, and four hijackers.

Temporary memorial

Following the crash, the site was secured with fencing and closed to public access except for families of the victims. The temporary memorial was located on a hillside overlooking the crash area. It consisted of a chain-link fence bearing tributes to the 40 passengers and crew members, where visitors left flowers, flags, hats, rosaries, and other memorabilia collected by the National Park Service.

Multiple cities sought to commemorate United Flight 93’s heroes; notably, Marshall, Texas honored them by naming a street "United Flight 93" in early 2002. Barbara Catuzzi, mother of victim Lauren Grandcolas, served as keynote speaker at this dedication.

Adjacent to the fence were additional commemorations including a bronze plaque listing names, flags, a prominent cross, and wooden angels symbolizing each individual onboard. Guardrails were covered with handwritten notes. A small building staffed by National Park Service volunteers functioned as a visitor center featuring a guestbook. Annually, around 150,000 visitors came to pay respects at this site, with total attendance nearing one million by July 2008.

Initially located on land leased from Svonavec, Inc., a coal company headquartered in Somerset, Pennsylvania, the temporary memorial was relocated across the road in 2008 after lease expiration. This new location was part of roughly purchased by the Families of Flight 93 foundation.

Permanent memorial

On March 7, 2002, Congressman John Murtha (PA-12) introduced legislation in the United States House of Representatives to create a National Memorial overseen by a commission and managed by the National Park Service. Senator Arlen Specter (PA) proposed a corresponding Senate bill on April 16, 2002. The "Flight 93 National Memorial Act" was approved by both chambers on September 10, 2002; it explicitly excluded commemoration of the four hijackers. President George W. Bush signed it into law on September 24, 2002 (Public Law No. 107-226), and subsequently, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

By September 2005, responsibilities were assigned to the Flight 93 Advisory Commission to provide recommendations to both the Secretary of the Interior and Congress regarding planning, design, construction, and long-term stewardship of the memorial. The legislation also authorized acquisition of land from willing sellers.

The Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign represents a public-private collaboration involving Families of Flight 93, the Flight 93 Federal Advisory Commission, the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force, along with the National Park Service, National Park Foundation, local entities, state agencies, national organizations, and international supporters. Initiated in 2005 with a goal to raise $30 million from philanthropic donors including individuals, corporations, and foundations, this campaign funded construction efforts for the memorial. After fourteen years dedicated to planning and development, it officially opened for families of victims on September 10, 2015.

Land acquisition

The National Memorial extends roughly , stretching from Lambertsville Road to U.S. Route 30 (Lincoln Highway), where its main entrance is situated. While about of the land remains under private ownership, these areas are safeguarded through collaborative agreements. The central portion of the memorial encompasses , with an extra designated as a protective buffer zone. In December 2002, Tim Lambert, a landowner, contributed at the crash location and worked with the Conservation Fund to secure an additional . Proceeds from the film United 93 assisted the Families of Flight 93 group in acquiring during the summer of 2006, as they pursued $10 million in federal funds for further land purchases. Later that year, in November, the Conservation Fund purchased to serve as buffer territory, which is now managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. In March 2008, PBS Coals Inc. transferred ownership of to the families' organization.

A reclaimed strip-mine plot measuring , owned by Svonavec, Inc., was proposed by Michael Svonavec as a site for a museum and visitor center. He appraised this land at $23.3 million, a figure significantly higher than the government's valuation of $610,000. After other property owners sold their parcels, both the Flight 93 Advisory Committee and Families of Flight 93 petitioned President George W. Bush to permit eminent domain to obtain Svonavec’s land. Rather than direct presidential authorization, Pennsylvania Senators introduced a Congressional amendment empowering the Department of the Interior to exercise eminent domain over the property. The dispute over compensation was ultimately settled in United States v. 275.81 Acres of Land, where a federal commission determined a payment of $1,535,000.

Design selection

The memorial’s design was selected through a multi-phase competition supported by grants from the Heinz Foundations and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Initiated on September 11, 2004, the contest received more than 1,000 submissions online. By February 2005, five finalists were chosen for further refinement. On September 7, 2005, a jury consisting of 15 members—including family representatives, design experts, and community leaders—declared Crescent of Embrace by Los Angeles architects Paul and Milena Murdoch as the winning concept.

This design incorporated a "Tower of Voices" featuring 40 wind chimes—each representing one victim—and a crescent-shaped walkway lined with red maple trees that followed the natural depression of the terrain. Behind this crescent pathway were planned groves consisting of red and sugar maples alongside eastern white oaks. A black slate wall was intended to signify the boundary at the crash site where victims are interred.

The concept encountered opposition from bloggers and religious groups alike. Tom Burnett Sr., a jury member who lost his son in the tragedy, voiced concerns over the crescent form due to its historical ties to Islamic symbolism and cautioned that it might provoke controversy. Similarly, Representative Tom Tancredo objected because of its perceived Islamic associations. Commentator Mike Rosen from the Rocky Mountain News suggested that the crescent could be interpreted as emblematic of al-Qaeda’s ideology. The architects denied any intention to reference Muslim symbols—a stance supported by multiple victims’ families—and it is notable that Al-Qaeda’s Salafi doctrine typically rejects use of the crescent as an Islamic emblem.

Some detractors criticized the design for being overly abstract. Journalist James Lileks remarked that although monumental statues were unnecessary, the "Crescent of Embrace" conveyed only broad sorrow without capturing the distinct nature of Flight 93’s passengers and crew’s sacrifice.

Revised Design

Architect Paul Murdoch responded to public feedback by agreeing to alter the original concept while maintaining its fundamental aspects. He recognized the community's concerns and sought to address them without diminishing the memorial's key characteristics.

The updated design adopts a straightforward circular form rather than a crescent, intersected by the flight path indicated through a clearing, highlighting the crash location. Murdoch described the memorial as featuring a walkway extending from an arrival plaza to a ceremonial entrance and a Wall of Names, consisting of 40 polished white granite panels, each etched with an individual victim's name. Adjacent walls and a black granite representation of the flight path direct visitors toward the impact site, which is adorned with wildflowers and encircled by a hemlock forest.

Phase 1: Wall of Names

The projected budget for the permanent memorial stands at $60 million. By March 2011, private contributions had reached $20 million; Pennsylvania provided $18.5 million, and Congress allocated $10 million. Families of the victims petitioned Congress for an additional $3.7 million in fiscal year 2012 funding. Although initially planned for dedication on September 11, 2011, construction was delayed due to financial constraints and economic challenges.

The groundbreaking ceremony occurred on November 8, 2009, led by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and attended by Pennsylvania officials, National Park Service personnel, first responders, and relatives of those lost. The Wall of Names was completed in 2011.

Phase 2: Tower of Voices

Construction commenced in 2017 on the 93-foot Tower of Voices, an imposing edifice featuring 40 wind chimes—one representing each passenger and crew member who perished in the crash, excluding the hijackers. Positioned as the entrance to the National Memorial and visible from U.S. Route 30, it is the tallest tower of its type. Built by L.S. Fiore, this precast concrete structure supports polished aluminum chimes ranging in length with varying tones.

Composer Samuel Pellman designed the chimes' pitches in collaboration with wind and acoustical engineers as well as a musical instrument manufacturer. Prototypes were tested in environments with wind conditions comparable to those at the memorial site, which benefits from relatively strong average winds and nearby wind farms.

Finished in 2018, the primary tower initially housed eight of the forty chimes. By September 2020, ARCH Production & Design NYC installed all remaining chimes along with the mechanism that enables their ringing, completing this distinctive sonic tribute.

Dedication

The memorial’s first phase was dedicated on September 10, 2011, during a ceremony attended by Vice President Joe Biden, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Speaker John Boehner, dignitaries, family members of passengers, and thousands more. At this event, Clinton and Boehner announced a campaign to raise the remaining $10 million required to finish the memorial. Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan performed "Angel" and "I Will Remember You" as the Bells of Remembrance tolled forty times—once for each passenger and crew member.

The Tower of Voices was formally dedicated on September 9, 2018.

On June 21, 2018, all recovered debris from the hijacked Boeing 757 was transported back to the crash site and interred during a private ceremony attended by first responders and families of those aboard.

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