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As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, 9/11 Memorial and Museum President and CEO Elizabeth L. Hillman said this year’s milestone coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, highlighting the nation’s past and its resilience.
“This year, America’s 250th anniversary coincides with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which means that what is happening at our site is very connected to the history of the country and the recognition of this important milestone,” Hillman told Fox News Digital.
“9/11 is an important part of our nation’s history, but especially as the nation turns 250.”
Nearly 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks when hijacked planes attacked the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
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Two flags fly on a fence in front of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center at the Tear Drop 9/11 Memorial at dusk on June 13, 2026, in Bayonne, New Jersey. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
Hillman said it is more important than ever for future generations to learn about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to understand how they helped shape the nation and “where we are today.”
“Now, it’s been 25 years since that date, so if we don’t elevate 9/11 in the eyes of the 100 million Americans who were born after it or who were too young to remember 9/11 when it happened, we will miss the opportunity for them to understand what happened that day and how the world came to heal, how the nation came together and how this city and the other sites, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, worked to recover afterward,” he said.
Hillman said the nation’s recovery after 9/11 shows that even after a devastating tragedy, people can come together, heal and rebuild.
“I think everyone is hungry for proof that we can survive difficult situations,” he said. “There’s nothing like 9/11 to help people realize, considering how the nation has recovered since then, that it’s possible to persevere, to heal, to bounce back, even in the face of truly unfathomable loss, and that’s what 9/11 has the opportunity to teach us.”
Reflecting on the museum’s role, Hillman said the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, affected not only New York City but the entire country, calling the museum “a testament to the city’s resilience” and “the perseverance that allowed us to rebuild.”
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Mourners leave colorful flowers at the 911 Memorial, offering gifts to remember those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. (Getty Images)
“At the center of the rebuilt World Trade Center is a memorial to the people who were murdered that day and a testament, really, to what we can do when we come together after that kind of catastrophe,” he said.
This year, the museum opened “Our Flag Was Still There,” an exhibit featuring flags, artifacts and photographs that tell stories of resilience from first responders, veterans and Americans who lived through 9/11. The exhibit includes the Ground Zero flag raised by FDNY firefighters, the flag placed over the Pentagon by soldiers and firefighters, a flag raised atop the last column of the South Tower and a flag carried during the mission that killed Usama bin Laden.
“It reveals how important the flag was in the healing and unity that occurred after 9/11,” Hillman said.
Hillman said commemorating 9/11 is especially important at a time when “a lot of things seem to be dividing us.”
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Attendees hold signs with the American flag during the opening celebration of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on June 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. The Great American State Fair will run through July 10 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
“The opportunity to bring people together around a symbol like the flag, and around a symbol like the rebuilding of the World Trade Center after 9/11, is a great opportunity, especially now,” he said.
On July 4, Hillman said the museum will place an American flag in each victim’s name on the memorial, “to recognize how important the flag was as a symbol of the country on their birthday, but also of the recovery from 9/11 that happened and continues to happen now as we remember that day at this site.”
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Looking ahead to the fall, Hillman said the museum will also begin offering free admission to veterans whose “willingness to serve after 9/11” helped rebuild the World Trade Center and unite the nation.
“If there’s one message that we feel like we can get across now that we couldn’t get across 25 years ago because we didn’t know enough about what would happen next, it’s that a lot of people were inspired to serve their country by serving in the military,” he said.