Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum - So the World Never Forgets
May 28, 2019
On April 19, 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed, 165 people died. Located at 620 N. Harvey Ave., the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created where the Murrah Building and the surrounding devastated area stood. It was designed to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever -- so the world never forgets. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity. It comprises of two separate components: the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial and the Memorial Museum. Outdoor Symbolic Memorial This 3.3 acre space includes the:
- Gates of Time, which mark the time before and after the bombing took place.
- Field of Empty Chairs, memorializing each person killed.
- Survivor Tree, an American elm that withstood the full force of the bomb’s blast and now serves as a symbol of Oklahoma’s resilience.
This outdoor memorial is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. National Park Service Rangers are on site daily to answer questions, from 9 am to 5 pm, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Memorial Museum The interactive exhibits inside this 50,000 square-foot facility offer a look at both the senseless violence of the bombing and the city’s brave and loving response. Visitors undertake a chronological self-guided experience through the events of April 19, 1995, and the resulting impact on the days, weeks and years that followed. Designed to emphasize that the world holds much more good than bad, the museum offers a chance to hear from the investigators, rescuers and survivors, as well as the family members of those who were killed. A picture is provided of how not only the Oklahoma City community came together as a result of the bombing, but also of how people across the nation and around the world offered support during this time of great need. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday from noon to 6 pm. Typically, visits last an hour and a half and tickets are not sold after 5 pm. The museum is closed Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for students (ages 6 – 17 and college students with ID), seniors (62+) and members of the military (with ID). For children age five and under admission is free. Group rates are available for 15 or more.
