A Visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

A visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum is truly a must for anyone who remembers or desires to learn about the tragic events of April 19, 1995.

Centered on ground zero, the memorial consists of the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial, the museum and the Memorial Institute for the prevention of Terrorism. To enter, you first walk through The Gates of Time which represents the final moment of innocence and the moment of destruction. The east gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19 which marks the innocence, and the west gate represents the 9:03 a.m. the moment the bomb exploded.

After entering, visitors will see the Field of Empty of Chairs which consists of 168 chairs representing each life lost. They are placed in rows of nine, representing the nine floors of the building and are placed according to the floor on which those killed were visiting.

The Survivor Tree, a 90 year-old American Elm, stands to the right of the chairs. The tree is referred to as a profound symbol of human resilience. Around the base of the tree a message to visitors reads "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us."

Once inside, visitors will be exposed to many displays and galleries, all designed to honor, remember and educate. The first section offers a background on terrorism and how it has impacted America since 1985. A history of the Murrah Building is presented in the second section.

Another exhibit features a recording of the explosion taped at a meeting of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The meeting was called to order in the hearing room across the street from the Murrah Building. Shortly after the hearing begins, the bomb explodes and the tape catches the sounds of the explosion and confusion.

The Gallery of Honor features portraits of the victims. Their families have placed artifacts by each photo to help tell a story of their loved one. Other displays include a collection of caps from all the different entites that came to help inlcuding fire departments.