Beyond 9-11: Tragedy and Rebirth at Ground Zero

On this tour, you'll take an intimate look at the 9/11 terrorist attacks through the accounts of people who survived them. The local guide leading the tour will relate personal stories from the churches, fire stations and memorials near Ground Zero, then take you to visit the 9/11 Reflecting Pools. This is a great way to go beyond the headlines and connect with era-defining events on a human level. The tour begins by visiting two churches, St.Peter’s and St. Paul’s both of which were key staging grounds for the rescue and recovery operations during the aftermath of September 11th. You'll also see the famous fence around St. Paul’s that was turned into a spontaneous memorial to those that were lost. As you visit various other memorials and sights affected by the attacks, including Ladder 10, the Bell of Hope, the Koenig Globe, and more, your guide will tell you stories about the humans behind the tragedy, some well known and some more personal. The tour passes through the Reflection Pools that sit in the footprints of the old Twin Towers and affords great views of the One World Observatory before finally ending at the Survivor Tree, a pear tree found in the rubble of the Twin Towers that was replanted and stands as a simple reminder of the resilience of life. Sites Visited: - St. Peter’s Church - 9/11 Cross - St. Paul’s church & cemetery - The Oculus - One World Observatory - Ladder 10 firehouse - Greek Orthodox Church - Anne Frank tree - Koenig globe - Reflecting pools - Survivor Tree