The Oklahoma City National Memorial site including the Field of Empty Chairs, the north Gate of Time, Reflecting Pool, and Survivor Tree
Flowers and personal items are left on several of the 168 memorial chairs at the Oklahoma City National Memorial on the 10th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The chairs stand in remembrance of the 168 people who died from the April 19, 1995 terrorist attack.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is the largest memorial of its kind in the United States of America. It honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed by the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995. The memorial is located in downtown Oklahoma City on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which was destroyed in the 1995 bombing.
The outdoor Symbolic Memorial consists of the following segments on 3.3 acres (13,000 m²) that can be visited:
- The Gates of Time: Monumental twin gates frame the moment of destruction -9:02- and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial. 9:01 represents the last moments of peace and its opposite, 9:03, represents the first moments of recovery.
- Reflecting Pool: Gently flowing water soothing wounds with calming sounds and providing a peaceful setting for quiet thoughts.
- Field of Empty Chairs: 168 empty chairs that were hand-crafted from glass, bronze, and granite represent those who lost their lives in the tragedy. A bombing victim's name is etched in the base of each chair, with the chairs arranged in nine rows symbolizing the nine floors of the Murrah Federal Building. The 19 smaller chairs represent the children killed in the bombing.
- Children's Area: A wall of hand-painted tiles painted by children sent to Oklahoma City in 1995 and a series of chalkboards creates an opportunity for children to share their feelings.
- Rescuers' Orchard: A grove of fruit and flowering trees surrounds and protects the Survivor's Tree.
- The "Survivor Tree:" A 70 year old American elm bears witness to the violence of April 19 and now stands as a profound symbol of human resilience.
- The Memorial Fence: Originally installed to protect the site, the Memorial Fence continues to display items left by visitors, which are dedicated to all involved.
The National Memorial Museum and the Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism are the other two components. The Memorial Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.. The Memorial Museum is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's days.
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_National_Memorial under GFDL
