A quarter-century has passed since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, and this anniversary carries extra weight — not least because an entire generation of Americans has no lived memory of that morning. For travellers planning to be in New York or Pennsylvania around the date, there are meaningful ways to mark the day, whether in person or from afar.
In Lower Manhattan, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum at the former World Trade Center site remains the central place of remembrance. Its Never Forget Fund pays for educational programmes and keeps the memorial running, and for the 25th anniversary former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chairs the organisation, is matching donations up to $25 million. The annual commemoration ceremony will be broadcast live online, and ABC- and Disney-affiliated outlets will air "9/11 Tribute in Light: Live from Lower Manhattan" at 8 p.m. EDT on 11 September — worth tuning in for even if you can't be there.
Several charities connected to the day are also marking the milestone. Voices Center for Resilience, founded as Voices of September 11th, began by supporting victims' families, survivors and first responders, and now helps communities recover from all kinds of tragedy through support groups and educational resources. Its 25th-anniversary campaign is open for donations.
In rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the Flight 93 National Memorial honours the 33 passengers and seven crew of United Airlines Flight 93, who rushed the hijacked cockpit and likely stopped the plane from reaching the U.S. Capitol. The site is holding a private ceremony on the anniversary, and its official nonprofit, Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, accepts donations and volunteers.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation tells a story every New York visitor should know: firefighter Stephen Siller, just off shift at Brooklyn's Squad 1, ran through the closed Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in full gear — more than two miles — to reach the towers, where he died. His foundation supports injured veterans and first responders, and for the anniversary is delivering 343 mortgage-free homes, one for each firefighter killed at the World Trade Center.
Finally, the FealGood Foundation, started by ground zero first responder John Feal and championed by Jon Stewart, fought for the 2019 extension of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. It now assists all emergency personnel injured on the job, helping cover medication and assistive devices.
Why it matters to travellers: the 9/11 Memorial is one of New York's most-visited sites, and the Flight 93 National Memorial makes a sobering, worthwhile stop for anyone driving between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Knowing the context — and the organisations keeping these stories alive — turns a visit into genuine remembrance rather than a box-ticking photo stop. If you'd rather contribute from home, each of these charities accepts online donations, and matching gifts to the Never Forget Fund mean your money goes twice as far this year.