Tribute in Light: New York City pays tribute to 9/11 victims with iconic beams

LOWER MANHATTAN, Manhattan (PIX11) — The sky over Manhattan was illuminated with beams of light Thursday. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum tested its iconic Tribute in Light just days before we mark 23 years since the 9/11 attacks.

Eighty-eight large spotlights, arranged in the shape of the Twin Towers, illuminated from the roof of the Battery Parking Garage blocks away from Ground Zero.

“These twin beams of light shine up into the night sky,” said Josh Cherwin of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. “They remind us of those we lost, those we miss still today. They also remind us of the resilience of this city and the aftermath of the attacks.”

Each switch was flipped one by one, sending beams of light piercing into the night sky. The glow of the beams offers a somber yet striking tribute that has become a tradition for New Yorkers. Since its first appearance six months after the 9/11 attacks, the lights have served as a symbol of remembrance of the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the tragedy and those who have died due to related illnesses. 

“It’s an affirmation of our strength, of how we came together, and it reminds us — no matter what is happening elsewhere in the world — of the compassion we’re all capable of,” Cherwin said. 

The beams are so powerful that they can be seen from up to 60 miles away under clear skies. Con Edison made the installation possible.

“Helping people, who never were here for 9/11, understand and remember not only what we lost on 9/11 but how we came together as a city, as a community, as a country to respond and rebuild afterward,” said Con Edison President Matthew Ketschke. 

The lights will be turned on around dusk on Wednesday and remain on until dawn on Sept. 12.