Why you might roll your eyes:
You’ve visited or seen photos of the September 11 memorial in New York, and the hallowed ground is thronged by tourists snapping selfies.
Why you’ll love it:
The Pentagon’s memorial, rarely full of tourists, allows for quieter reflection and paying tribute to those who perished in the Pentagon and on American Airlines Flight 77. The elegant design features 184 granite benches, each inscribed with the name of a victim. The benches are arranged by age—it’s hard not to choke up as you come to the bench for three-year-old Dana Falkenberg. Pools of water under each bench are lighted when it’s dark—making the memorial particularly striking at night, when we recommend visiting.
For more information, see pentagonmemorial.org.
