While many visitors have expressed satisfaction with the September 11 Museum & Memorial at ground zero, a chorus of common complaints have been raised.
Cocktail Party
A cocktail party attended by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chairman of the board of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and museum donors was criticized as an elitist snub when some family members were allegedly asked to leave the site early under various pretenses.
Restaurant Plans
Plans for an 80-seat restaurant at the museum to be run Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events has been criticized by some as being in bad taste.
Vandalism
There have been numerous reports of vandalism of etched messages known as “scratchiti” popping up next to names on the fountain parapets.
Tourists
The site has become a popular tourist destination where visitors can be seen taking “selfies” or casually posing in front of the fountains. Inside the museum, which has a $24 entrance fee, visitors frequently snap photos in forbidden areas.
Souvenirs
Many locals have also expressed their disgust with the museum’s gift shop, which sells everything from umbrellas to earrings. The museum has said it plans to review the appropriateness of the items for sale.
Aftermath Deaths
Some first responders who fell seriously ill after being at ground zero during or after the attacks said they are distressed by the plaque inside, which refers to those who “allegedly” became ill after Sept. 11.
