Monday marks the 22nd anniversary of the World Trade Center Attacks. In Muskegon, a kid-friendly exhibition features pieces of steel from the north tower collapse.
In Muskegon County the USS Silversides Submarine Museum features the “Patriots Way Exhibit.” Its main attraction are portions of steel beams recovered from ground zero in New York City following the terrorist attacks on September 11th.
For some, the pieces of steel are considered sacred artifacts, as thousands of civilians and first responders perished under the weight of the two collapsing towers.
Executive Director Bethann Egan says, when the beams were first transported into the museum, emotions were raw.
“There are people here who were there in NYC at the time,” Egan said. “There were a lot of wet eyes, a lot of silence.”
On loan from the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, Illinois, Egan says the exhibit is kid friendly, and hopes to serve as a way for parents to teach their children about what happened on nine-eleven, why it’s important to remember, and how the tragedy unified the country for a time.
“We want to provide a space for parents to have those tough conversations, and how we responded.”
The exhibit will be on display until next June.
