I've wanted to visit the 9/11 memorial since it opened. Reading about nightmarish levels of "security" has me reconsidering. Thoughts?

I’m a native New Yorker and I wouldn’t go
The whole thing seems like a tourist trap

I went there about a year or two ago. The security wasn’t really bad. We had to wait in a line to get in, but it really wasn’t much different than waiting in line for an amusement park ride. As far as the security to get in, I don’t remember having any issues. We didn’t have any bags with us, other than my brother’s camera bag, so that may be why we didn’t have any issues.

It’s really not that bad. I haven’t been to the museum, just the memorial fountains about 18 months ago. Yes, you do wind your way through the security center, but if you go down there with a minimal amount of stuff, the security is no worse than going in the Empire State Building.

My experience was similar to @zenvelo.‘s A line, yes, but nothing over the top. Haven’t been to the museum – and wouldn’t go there – but I did go to the memorial site about a year ago.

I think you should go. Don’t bring a bag with you and probably security is really easy. Go on a weekday and when it is closer to off season when school is back in session. Late September or early October. Go later in the day, I don’t know what hours it is accessible, but I would not go first thing in the morning. Worst thing that happens is you get down there and the line is ridiculous and you just get back on the bus or subway while under the transfer time (for free) and go somewhere else instead.

I’ve been wanting to go to the memorial fountains, as well. I haven’t been to that part of town since the memorial fountains opened. It’s not the security that would dissuade me, personally – it’s the crowds. I suppose the best time to go is before spring break or after Easter/Passover and before Memorial Day, or later in the fall.

I don’t think I could handle the museum emotionally, and I am turned-off by the tourism/commercial aspect of the gift shop – but I can’t say that I’ll never go there. I wonder if the security is tighter to get in there than for the fountains.

Which reminds me – I still have to get to the Intrepid to see the Space Shuttle! They have the Concord there, too.

^ Most importantly, The Intrepid museum has one of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbirds.

The most movingly beautiful thing mankind has ever created.

@SecondHandStoke – I’ve seen the planes (my fiancé and I had our first official date on the Intrepid); I just haven’t been back since they brought the Space Shuttle in.

So long as you aren’t a terrorist I think you will do alright with the security.

@SecondHandStoke I might not be quite that taken with the Blackbird, but both it and another “skunkworks” product, the f 104 have always impressed me as monuments to “haulin ass”. I’ve often thought that were you to show any human being from any period in history a model of the plane, he or she would probably guess its function. The plane is one of those “landmarks” like the golden Gate Bridge to the engineering genius of the greatest nation of its period. It’s the Pantheon of aeronautics.

Pfft, what are you going to do, blow up a building?

too soon?

Edited, my bad taste.

Personally, I don’t fear another’s bad taste.

I put all my questions in Social for a reason.