Ceremonies marking the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks will be reserved for survivors and victims' families in New York and at the Pentagon.
However, Thursday, the public will be invited to tour the World Trade Center site, the first time it has been open on an anniversary.
"We wanted to take it back to the state where it was freely accessible to the public at night," said Joe Daniels, president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum to USA Today. "The memorial pools will be lit themselves, which looks absolutely stunning at night," Daniels said.
Plans at the three sites:
• World Trade Center. Closed to the public Thursday until 6 p.m. Traditional reading of the names of the 2,983 victims of the three 9/11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing will begin at 8:46 a.m., after a moment of silence to mark when the first hijacked plane struck the north tower. Other key moments will be observed throughout the morning. The program is expected to conclude by 12:30 p.m. "Tribute in Light" twin beams representing the two destroyed towers will shine from sunset Sept. 11 until sunrise Sept. 12.
• Pentagon. The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial will be closed to the public until 11 a.m. The commemoration will begin at 9:30 a.m., hosted by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey. President Obama is scheduled to speak at the ceremony, which will observe a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., the moment an airliner hit the Pentagon.
• Shanksville, Pa. The Flight 93 National Memorial will be open to the public all day. An observance of the crash there will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a reading of the names of Flight 93 passengers and crew, ringing of Bells of Remembrance, a wreath laying and brief remarks by former House speaker Dennis Hastert. (KH/SDF)
