New York’s 9/11 Ground Zero Museum Workshop

Many emotions are embedded in the idea of ‘travel’. Some of these emotions are pure joy – discovering a new culture, making new friends in a far-flung country.  Sometimes the emotions are raw, painful, sobering: I’m thinking about touring post-Katrina New Orleans, visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, the killing fields of Cambodia.

While few people chose to travel in pursuit of tragedies, occasionally a tragedy helps put a destination into meaningful context. No where is that more true than New York City. The attacks of September 11, 2001 are easy to overlook nowadays; almost a decade later, New York is healing, moving on, looking forward not back. And yet 9/11 was (and remains) a defining moment of modern New York. You cannot appreciate the city, and everything it has endured, without confronting the gruesome reality of the attacks: the death and destruction, the heroism of Ground Zero’s rescue workers, the courage and resilience of everyday New Yorkers.

Firefighters recovering a body at Ground Zero

Viator is extremely proud to work with the non-profit Ground Zero Museum Workshop in New York City. The museum is located in the Meatpacking District on West 14th Street, a short subway ride from Ground Zero itself. A highlight of the museum’s powerful collection are 100 of Gary Marlon Suson’s most well-known images from the 9/11 recovery effort (Suson was one of only two sanctioned photographers with all-access privileges at Ground Zero). Visitors are also allowed the rare opportunity to pick up and hold World Trade Center steel and window glass. The non-profit museum also benefits numerous 9/11 and Fire Department-related charities and is endorsed by many noted firefighters and 9/11 families.

Viator recently caught up with Mr Suson. He was gracious enough to share his thoughts and experiences about the museum, New York, and the tragedy of 9/11.

Q&A with Ground Zero Museum’s Gary Marlon Suson

Viator: When did the Ground Zero Museum Workshop open? And where did the idea come from?

Suson: We opened September 7, 2005. It’s inspiration was multi-faceted. In 2005, I was very frustrated that there was no 9/11 museum erected, as I knew that visitors to NYC had a need to know “what happened” at Ground Zero following the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks.

There were (and still are) so many delays in the rebuilding process at Ground Zero. I called many NYC Museums and offered to donate my collection to them if they’d build a permanent wing or exhibit, but was surprised when they all said pretty much the same thing: “There’s not really much interest in 9/11 anymore.”

Right around then I visited Amsterdam, Holland, and in particular, the Anne Frank House. I was moved to tears at seeing Anne’s diary, her room and all the artifacts. It made me “connect” to the Holocaust much more than reading about it in a book. What really blew me away was how such a tiny exhibit could be so incredibly profound. Anne Frank House is NOT the MOMA; it is very small. It was then that I decided I would turn my loft studio in NYC’s Meatpacking District into the “Biggest LITTLE Museum in New York.”

K9 rescue dogs at the WTC site

The task was not easy as I had to make every square inch of the museum meaningful. Many people assisted me with this and I could not be happier with our “micro museum.”

The guest reviews are what I base the museum’s success on. With a near-perfect rating after 3 years, I know we are doing our job in telling the special stories that arose from the dust of 9/11. If I ever felt there were no need for the museum to exist, I’d close it in a heartbeat, but as of today, people are still visiting us.

Viator:  Some of the staff and guides worked at the World Trade Center site, helping with the recovery after the 9/11 attacks. It sounds like you run this out of a real love and concern for the people involved in the 9/11 recovery efforts.

Suson: We have had tour guides who were firefighters on 9/11 who barely survived, as well as guides who were not there but are quite passionate about being part of the museum’s mission. I no longer conduct tours as it isn’t healthy for me, but I sit in from time to time and answer questions. The recovery workers at Ground Zero were unsung heroes as the public has no idea what they went through over 9 months trying to recover the remains of 3,000 victims. They subjected themselves to grueling conditions that winter of ’01-’02 while diggings in the mud just so some families could get some remain of their loved ones back. It took a toll on them mentally and physically. The museum shows a side of the recovery that is seldom scene and portrays patriotism at its finest.

Viator: What’s your personal connection to 9/11?

Suson: Well, I never really experienced 9/11 as a “normal” person would. I was so heavily involved, both as the official photographer at Ground Zero for the uniformed firefighters association, and as a recovery worker, that I never really was on the outside looking in. I was so honored to be there and help out in any way and have tried to help others who were affected in a negative way.

It is draining on me emotionally to talk about 9/11 and I try to distance myself in some ways for my own sanity, but I am always there to give a hug to or talk to someone when I see they are hurting. I cannot turn a blind eye when I see someone is upset, so I often try to be strong for them. I have had a lot of extensive therapy and it has helped me help others. I no longer lead museum tours, so I am happy we have a staff that communicates my message and experiences for me since I cannot do it anymore.

Viator: How has lower Manhattan changed since 9/11?

Suson: The first few years after 9/11 it was a train wreck. So many businesses were wiped out and many residents moved, leaving the real estate market in the doldrums. However, recently there has been a surge in rentals and new businesses as people are realizing that the Battery Park City area can be great, once again. They are projecting the WTC site will reopen in 2013-14, but only time will tell.

Firefighter at the WTC recovery site

A new tower and memorial museum are currently being constructed. One of the problems with the rebuilding process has to do with engineering conflicts and the subway system. I am not personally involved with the politics of the rebuilding process, nor would I want to be. It seems like a daunting task.

Viator: Are you surprised by the reactions of visitors who come to the museum?

Suson: I must say yes, I am. I am amazed at how 9/11 affected people from all over the world. I am surprised and moved at how many people “care” about the event, care about the victims and what happened that awful day. It is inspiring to me when I see the emotions conveyed by guests from UK to Australia to France to Germany to Holland.

I admit I had reservations about opening the museum and I thought perhaps nobody would visit, but I was so very wrong. Truth is, I didn’t know what I was doing when I began to build the museum; I just followed my heart and went for it. I am happy that it is still open and touching lives every day. This museum is not about me, even though it’s my images that are displayed. From time to time I will read an annoying review that incorrectly states the museum is a showcase of my work or “about the photographer.”

To be honest, I have no aspirations to be a photographer nor do I care about showcasing or promoting “my work.” I am an actor and playwright who just helped out when called upon. After 9/11, some people donated cookies, some donated clothes , and I happened to donate my photography skills. My “role” at WTC was no more or less important than anyone else’s role.

So this museum is not about me but about those who died and those who need to come here for healing. It just so happens I was one of only two photographers in the world allowed full access to the WTC site, so I felt I must do something meaningful with the collection or it would collect dust. The “Recovery Collection” serves a much greater purpose than me, that’s for sure, so you can imagine how irked I get when someone has a cynical take on the “purpose” of the museum. As a side note, having to carry around all these Ground Zero stories in my head was driving me mad, so I am happy they are now permanently recorded in the self-guided audio tour.

Viator: What sort of exhibits and artifacts can visitors expect to see?

Suson: Guests can hear 100 moving stories behind well-known images from Ground Zero, including images from the subway tunnels below WTC, the WTC Bible Page, Honor Guard images, K-9 Recovery Dogs and more. Artifacts include WTC window glass, steel, a clock frozen at the second the first Tower collapsed, a calendar page from 9-11 and more.

It is unfortunate that artifacts were thrown away on a daily basis at Ground Zero, so I sometimes asked permission to retain a few that appeared in my images. We also have artifacts on loan from Recovery workers, FDNY and NYPD personnel. A historical treasure trove of artifacts were disposed of and if I could turn back the hands of time, I would have asked permission to save more of them. They help people connect to the event.

Learning about the 9/11 recovery efforts

Viator: Is the museum suitable for children?

Suson: Yes, it is. There is nothing graphic nor morbid at Ground Zero Museum Workshop. It is tastefully presented. We have 4 and 5-year-olds sit and listen intently to the stories. The museum is unique in that it stays away from the morning of 9/11 and focuses on the aftermath. I did not feel that making guests (or 9/11 families) re-live the horrors of that morning would be of a healing nature. Everybody knows what happened that day but they don’t know what happened inside Ground Zero in the 9 months that followed.

That’s where we come in. We fill in the gaps and educate guests as to the special stories that happened inside. We help visitors feel what it was like on the inside looking out. Our “world” in there was very sacred and special. The nicest compliment we can ever get on the museum is that it is “tasteful.”

Viator: I read in the NY Times that you wandered the dark subway tunnels below Ground Zero by yourself. Were your scared?

Suson: Yes, it was quite scary down there. It was structurally unstable, so anything could come down on me at any time, so I was slightly “off” in being down there. But I captured some historical images in the subway area, so it was worth it. One day, I will release the video footage I shot down there and whoever views it will probably get freaked out. I look back at it sometimes and say to myself, “What, were you crazy?”

The subway images are very popular in the museum. I remember one day in 2001, I was on the phone with my mom in Chicago, Sherry Suson, and she said, “I don’t want you going down there any more! Do you hear me? And if you do go, I don’t want to hear about it!” She wasn’t joking, either. My mom preferred the old days when all I did was photograph our horses and dogs on our Barrington Hills, Illinois farm.

Viator: So, you are retired from photography?

Gary Marlon Suson at the WTC site

Suson: Haha, yes. My first love is the theatre and writing, but I also do voiceover work. I didn’t come to New York City from Chicago for a photography career nor to be a museum curator. Truth is, I am honored that I was able to use my early childhood training in photography to do something meaningful concerning a national tragedy.

Could I ever do anything more meaningful than document the recovery at Ground Zero?

Probably not. I took that job unsalaried because it was an honor to be there and help out.

I am focused heavily now on finishing up my next Off-Broadway play, American Brother. It’s Ground Zero-themed and is a four-character, emotion driven play. We will be sending out invites to all our museum guests when it opens. We collect emails daily from our visitors. I am an artist, through and through, and artists create what they feel passionate about. I feel passionate about keeping the memory of the 9/11 victims alive and this stage play will reflect that. I hope it is well received.

-Scott McNeely

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s New York tours & things to do in New York, including the Ground Zero Museum Workshop Tour.