Inside The 9/11 Museum’s Offensive Gift Shop

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9-11-memorial-museum-gift-shopThe museum at Ground Zero tells the dark story of the 9/11 terror attacks with spectacular artifacts and exhibits. It pays heart-wrenching tribute to the innocents and heroes killed that day.

It also has a gift shop.

The 9/11 museum’s cavernous boutique offers a vast array of souvenir goods. For example: FDNY, NYPD and Port Authority Police T-shirts ($22) and caps ($19.95); earrings molded from leaves and blossoms of downtown trees ($20 to $68); cop and firefighter charms by Pandora and other jewelers ($65); “United We Stand” blankets.
There are bracelets, bowls, buttons, mugs, mousepads, magnets, key chains, flags, pins, stuffed animals, toy firetrucks, cellphone cases, tote bags, books and DVDs.

After paying $24 admission for adults, $18 for seniors and students, and $15 for kids 7 to 17, visitors can shop till they drop.

“To me, it’s the crassest, most insensitive thing to have a commercial enterprise at the place where my son died,” Diane Horning said.

She and husband Kurt never recovered the remains of their son Matthew, 26, a database administrator for Marsh & McLennan and aspiring guitarist.

About 8,000 unidentified body parts are now stored out of sight in a “remains repository” at the museum’s underground home.

“Here is essentially our tomb of the unknown. To sell baubles I find quite shocking and repugnant,” said Horning, who also objects to the museum cafe.

“I think it’s a money-making venture to support inflated salaries, and they’re willing to do it over my son’s dead body.”

Among the museum shop’s specially designed items:

- A black and white “Darkness Hoodie” printed with an image of the Twin Towers. The pullover, like other “Darkness” items, bears the words “In Darkness We Shine Brightest.” Price: $39.

- Silk scarves printed with 1986 photos by Paula Barr, including a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline. Another depicts “lunchtime on the WTC Plaza.” They go for $95 each.

- ”Survivor Tree” earrings, named after a pear tree that stood in the World Trade Center plaza and survived 9/11. Made of bronze and freshwater pearls, a pair costs $64. A leaf ornament molded from the swamp white oaks at the memorial is said to change from amber to dark brown “and sometimes pink around the time of the 9/11 anniversary.”

- Heart-shaped rocks inscribed with slogans such as “United in Hope” and “Honor.” One rock bears a quote by Virgil that is emblazoned on a massive blue-tiled wall in the museum: “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” It costs $39.

Read more at the New York Post.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


10 COMMENTS

  1. As “crass” or insensitive as it may be, a gift shop may the highest form of showing our resilience to anti-western ideology. The almighty dollar is what paid for this museum after all.

  2. ridiculous! have the gift shop a few doors down cuz this is really insensitive in my opinion even without knowing anyone personally who perished that day in the terrible tragedy.

  3. Stam gedreit a kop!

    The museum was expensive to build – as was the freedom tower etc. If this pays a teeny bit towards it, instead of hiking our tolls even more, then it’s what has to be done. I do not see how it’s insensitive.

  4. Sad story, but a museum usually has a gift shop, many might want a personal connection and it also raises money to keep the museum operation open and ready.

    So this does not seem to bother me. Perhaps I have to visit.

  5. But when you have a gift shop, you have to hire and pay the employees, with all their “Holidays”, “sick leave”, “maternity leave”, etc…! Its a lose lose situation for the dumb stupid taxpayer! The less City Employees, the better!

  6. Don’t see the problem either. The museum is currently waaay underfunded. And the merchandise sold seems a way to keep the patriotic feeling going–is that a bad thing?

  7. I can totally relate to this woman’s pain. Does anyone know that there is a gift shop in Auschwitz, too? If they were selling informative memorabilia, nu. But to sell pop gifts and to make 9/11 T-shirts is, in my opinion, disgusting.

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