The Collection | National September 11 Memorial & Museum (2024)

The 9/11 Memorial Museum’s permanent collection is an unparalleled repository consisting of material evidence, first-person testimony, and historical records of response to February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 and the ongoing repercussions of these terrorist events.To date, the Museum has acquired more than 74,000 artifacts that document the fate of victims, survivors, and responders.

To help fulfill its mission, the Museum may choose to lend items from its collections for exhibition and educational purposes to other non-profit cultural and educational institutions, archives and museums.

In deciding whether to approve outgoing loans, the Museum will take into consideration the potential of such requests to advance the educational and commemorative uses of its collection. At the same time, consideration will be paid to the borrower’s ability to meet professional standards for the preservation, security, safety and public access to collection items during the term of their loan.

Loaning collection material to non-museum entities may create opportunities for diminished care and documentation of the items, as well as limit public access, which may constitute a breach of the Museum’s responsibility to maintain items in trust for the public. Loans to non-museum entities will therefore be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be granted in cases where the public good outweighs potential risks.

All borrowers must meet the following criteria:

• The Museum does not lend to individuals, nor will it lend collection material to elected or appointed officials for the primary purpose of decorating offices.
• The borrower will make loaned items accessible to the public pursuant to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Any exception to full public accessibility must be brought to the Museum’s attention at the time the loan request is made.
• The borrower will meet the Museum’s requirements for safe object transport and handling, storage, and display.
• A current facility report completed by the borrowing institution must be provided to the Museum’s Registrar for review and approval prior to the release of the loan. Click here.
• The Chief Curator may require a Museum staff member to accompany the loan to the borrower and supervise its transit, unpacking and installation.
• All costs associated with object conservation, preparation, packing, crating, shipping, insurance, couriering (if required), rights and reproduction, and other loan-related costs will be paid by the borrower.
• The Museum’s Acquisition and Loans Committee will evaluate all loan requests received on an individualized basis, and reserves the right to decline a request for any reason.

A minimum of 6 months advance written notice is required to review and fulfill requests.

Requests

To initiate a loan request, please send a letter to the Chief Curator at 200 Liberty Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10281 or collections@911memorial.org that includes:

• The name and contact information of the borrower
• The purpose of the loan, including the exhibition title, dates, and summary
• Requested objects (if known, including accession number)
• Location and description of exhibition venue
• Current facility report