Flight 93 National Memorial
September 8, 2026
“A place every American should visit.”
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A quiet field in Western Pennsylvania tells one of the most powerful stories of September 11th.
In early July, my wife and I traveled to the Ligonier area of Western Pennsylvania, about 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, for a charity golf tournament I was playing in. Before the tournament, we made it a point to drive approximately another hour to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville. I had wanted to see it for years, and I can tell you that it was well worth the extra drive. Set amid the rolling hills and farmland of Somerset County, the memorial is remarkably peaceful—a sharp contrast to the events that unfolded there on September 11, 2001. This year marks the 25th anniversary of that day, which made our visit feel even more meaningful.
According to the National Park Service, United Airlines Flight 93 carried 40 passengers and crew members whose actions thwarted a planned attack on the nation’s capital. Today, the memorial preserves the crash site and tells their story through the Visitor Center, Flight Path Walkway, Memorial Plaza and Wall of Names. The Wall of Names consists of 40 individual polished white marble panels, each inscribed with the name of a passenger or crew member, while a black granite walkway traces the plane’s final flight path. In the distance, a large sandstone boulder marks the general location of the impact site and final resting place, an area that remains closed to the public. Near the entrance stands the 93-foot Tower of Voices, containing 40 wind chimes—one representing each passenger and crew member.
What struck me most was the simplicity of it all. There is no attempt to overwhelm you; the landscape, the silence and the story do that on their own. Walking through the Visitor Center and then looking across the field where Flight 93 came down puts a familiar chapter of American history into an entirely different perspective. You leave thinking less about the terrorists who caused that terrible day and more about the ordinary people aboard that airplane who, faced with an unimaginable situation, chose to act. As the National Park Service describes its mission, the memorial exists to honor the 40 passengers and crew members who “courageously gave their lives” while stopping the planned attack. Twenty-five years later, their courage remains the enduring story of this quiet Pennsylvania field.
The Takeaway: If your travels ever take you through Western Pennsylvania, particularly Pittsburgh, Ligonier or the Laurel Highlands, I would strongly recommend making time for the Flight 93 National Memorial. Admission is free, and the National Park Service operates the Visitor Center daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. It is not simply another sightseeing stop. It is a place to slow down, reflect and remember 40 Americans whose courage changed the course of that tragic morning.
