Ground Zero Museum Workshop

This is probably the smallest museum in NY but the one that left the biggest impression.

this museum is small yet very intimate. you see and learn so many things you might not have known about 9/11. its very personal and you get to learn about the lives and stories of the familes that worked and lived through 911. i would recommend this to anyone going into the city. it was a great experience.

Although we visited Ground Zero itself, it wasn't until we experienced the Ground Zero Museum Workshop Tour that we really connected on a personal level with what happened on 9/11. So much emotion packed into one small space just can't be described in a few short words. I guess it's what you feel once all of the horror has settled with the dust of the destruction and some how, some way life managed to go on. It's awful and wonderful at the same time.

This was an amazing experience and a very touchy one. I learned so many things and I now have a different perspective of what happened on that day. Thanks!

Well documented and very informative, done very well, kind of surreal and a great way to honor those who passed in this tragedy and especially to honor the workers who tirelessly worked for many months in the recovery effort.

My husband and I did this tour together. We have watched numerous documentaries on 9/11 and consider ourselves pretty knowledgeable and well read about the events. The most powerful photos were familiar as we had seen them published before. I think the positioning of this to be a "museum" was a bit over the top. And although I thought the tour guides did an exceptional job of presenting and setting expectations of what we'd see verbally, their dress and physical expressions as they conveyed information seemed a bit hokey...the use of walkie talkies, the blue uniformed shirts, etc took away from the value of the content. A more appropriate context to me would be an artist's point of view on 9/11...from that perspective there were certainly moving pictures and some stories I hadn't heard before or remembered. Allow 2 hours for this was way too much time. One hour to an hour and a half is ample.

This exhibit is a must see for anyone that finds themselves in New York. The stories and pictures cannot be found anywhere else.

Interesting event -- but I feel it's as much a study of the museum's curator as it is a study of the heroic rescue and recovery efforts. Here is exactly what happens -- you see a 5 minute CNN video piece about the musuem's curator, and how he came to take the photographs he did, and the various emotions he felt while working on the project. Then there's about a 15 minute video slideshow of the photos from the curator's book. Then you pass around three artifacts from Ground Zero. The first and second artifacts are crosses and Jewish stars the recovery workers cut from the steel salvaged from the site, and the third is a piece of glass from the WTC recovered at the scene (glass was very rare in the rubble --most of it turned back into sand from the heat). Then, you have about one hour to walk around the room, using your "TourMate" headphone systems. There are framed blow-ups of the photos you have just seen in the video, and each one is numbered, and you punch in the number on the TourMate and hear a brief story about each photo. There are also some other artifacts (calculators, calendars, clocks) which are also numbered and you can do the same for those. All in all, an interesting way to learn about the WTC recovery efforts. Also, the workshop is located in the Meatpacking District, a burgeoning interesting neighborhood. Recommend walking down the street to the High LIne park after your tour. If you can't make the tour, might want to consider buying the book with the photographs.

It needs to be expanded...

An incredibly rewarding few hours.. Gary's spirit and passion ooze out of the walls of this very special place. If you visit New York you must come. Be prepared to relive some of the raw emotions of 9/11. You will also be uplifted by the photos and stories of the many heroes of that day. Bravo Gary and thank you for letting us share the experiences and insights that were granted only to you..

This must be the best 2 hour that we have spent in Manhattan. I was lucky enough not to lose any friends in the 9/11 attack but through the photos, narration etc. I could fully understand the pain of those who did, the heroic actions of the rescuers and why this was an attack on mankind, on freedom and on the very ideals that we all believe in. It was definitely a very moving experience and worth every cent.

We were on our first visit to New York City and this museum was on the top of our list of things to do. It was well worth attending. We came out of the museum feeling very touched by everything that we saw.

The size fo the display was very appropriate for portraying the impact of the 9/11 attack on individuals.

My husband & I are visiting NY from Melbourne, Australia and like all Australian's we were effected by the events of 9/11 and wanted to see the site and learn a little more about it. The museum/workshop is unique and we were lucky enough to be there on a day when Gary was there which made it even more touching for us. The photographs and artifacts were incredible and although the visit atmosphere was one of extreme sadness and horror you still feel a sense of closeness and an enormous bonding with everyone. I think if I had lost a loved one on 9/11 I would feel a sense of peace and comfort. It must have been an incredible situation for Gary but all his photographs and artifacts are shown with such high regard and respect for every situation and person involved. I was moved to tears by some of the touching moments, as was my husband, but when we left we didn't feel depressed, we didn't speak about it for some time, but we both were very glad that we had visited the museum/workshop. I purchased the book and Gary was kind enough to sign it for me and I will treasure it for always. It will stand pride of place in a special place in my home in Melbourne. Thank you for allowing us to share this with you.

We went to New York for our Mother's birthday and did all the tourist attractions. I some how before our trip stumbled on this. It looked great so we bought our tickets online. When we got there you instantly realized that this was going to be a very sad day. I cried just watching the introductory video. We were lucky enough to be there when the photogropher Gary was there. He seemed like a very humble man. The pictures were taken so tastefully that you felt like you were not being voyers, but understanding how hard the recovery process was for all involved. The stories that go with each photo will live in me for the rest of my life. I purchased the coffee table book and after we visited ground zero we went to a pub right around the corner called Ohara's. I was looking throught the book I had just purchased and the bartender stopped and asked where I got it. I told him and he asked to look at it. In one of the pictures there was a missing person flyer with a firefighter made by his fiance. Steve the bartender came running over to our table and said, "Thats my best friend Joe!" He was amazed that he had such a strong feeling to stop and ask me to borrow the book when he was tending a busy bar, and then there was Joe. He told us stories about that horrible 9/11 day and we shared stories we had just seen in your workshop. Steve said he was going to go to this workshop, he had never even heard of it until now. He went to call his wife and ran over to us and said he opened his phone and it was 3:43pm, the number of firefighters that died that day. The workshop really made the experience more than just going to ground zero, it made us never forget the men and women who died there. I was so touched that by the end of the trip I bought a FDNY sweater that I proudly wear in my home town in California, and I understand more what that means. Thanks Gary for such a memorable experience!