Tribute in Light Reminds New Yorkers, and the World, That Out of Darkness Shines Light

Outside of the sacred space of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum itself, one of the most beloved, moving, and memorable ways the institution fulfills its mission to commemorate the 2,983 people killed in the 9/11 and February 26, 1993 attacks is Tribute in Light.

This commemorative public art installation first illuminated the New York City skyline six months after 9/11, immediately becoming a symbol of resiliency and hope for a city still dealing with the grief and shock of an unthinkable attack. 

Since then, on the night of September 11, Tribute in Light’s twin beams of blue light have brightened the sky from dusk to dawn, recalling the Twin Towers, honoring those killed in the attacks, and celebrating the unity and unbreakable spirit of New York.

Assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 Memorial, the twin beams reach up to four miles into the sky and are comprised of eighty-eight 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers.

On a clear night, Tribute in Light is visible in a 60-mile radius from lower Manhattan, uniting all those who gaze upon it in honoring the 2,983 people killed, recalling the Twin Towers that once defined the skyline, and reminding New Yorkers, and all the world, that out of darkness comes light.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff