Bryant Park 9-11 Tribute Reflects on Losses 25 Years Later
Visitors tied notes and white carnations to 2,753 chairs—representing each known life lost at the World Trade Center on 9/11—on the lawn of Bryant Park on Sept. 11. All chairs faced south toward Ground Zero.
| 12 Sep 2026 | 12:33
On one chair, a red bandana and note commemorated the life of Welles Crowther, a stock trader and volunteer firefighter who saved as many as 18 lives before he died in the South Tower. (
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Bryant Park’s lawn was transformed on Sept. 11 by a heart-wrenching visual representation of the lives lost on 9/11. All chairs faced south, toward Ground Zero. (
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Visitors of the memorial walked the rows of chairs and read the notes others had left. (
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At the memorial’s entrances, visitors wrote notes and were given white carnations. (
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Mementos, such as a red rubber duck, were placed on some chairs along with notes mourning people lost on 9-11. (
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In a tribute to each known life lost at the World Trade Center on 9-11, 2,753 chairs were set up on the lawn of Bryant Park. The of the chairs, that were placed starting at 4 a.m. on 9-11, all faced south toward Ground Zero. (
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Visitors from as far as the U.K., France, and China wrote notes expressing condolences, underscoring 9-11’s wide reaching impact. (
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Visitors wrote notes to colleagues, friends, and family members they lost during 9-11. (
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The memorial was a unique, poignant remembrance of 9-11’s 25th anniversary. (
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Some visitors sat in the chairs, taking in the impact of the tragedy. (
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In the middle of Bryant Park, tied to one of the 2,753 green chairs set up on the lawn, a single red bandana stood out. Next to it, a note commemorated Welles Crowther, the 24-year-old stock trader and volunteer firefighter who used his signature bandana as a mask to save 18 lives during the 9-11 attack before he died in the South Tower.
The note was one of thousands dispersed across the park as part of a public tribute reflecting on the tragedy’s 25th anniversary. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 11, the lawn was transformed into a sombre sea of chairs one for each known death that occurred at the World Trade Center that day.
It was a uniquely heart-wrenching visual representation of the lives lost on 9-11 that drew thousands of visitors. Even towards the end of the event, the space remained busy. Following the memorial, the American Symphony Orchestra performed a tribute concert on the park’s stage from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
At the memorial, attendees walked rows upon rows of chairs filled with notes and flowers. Visitors wrote their own messages and were provided with white carnations at the entrances. Mementos such as books, American flags, and a red rubber duck were placed on the seats. By midday, not a single chair was empty.
Several of the notes bore the names of victims. Conor Prior, one attendee, had written “Brian G. McAleese” on his paper. It was his mother’s best friend’s brother, who Prior grew up calling “Uncle Brian.”
McAleese was a firefighter at Engine 226 in Brooklyn and responded to the WTC on the morning of 9-11. He died that day alongside three of his fellow Engine 226 colleagues.
“I just wanted to put his name down and add him to this really impressive memorial,” said Prior, who grew up on Long Island and was in fourth grade when the attack took place.
Now, Prior works for The Dearie Law Firm and handles September 11th Victim Compensation Fund claims.
“9-11, many years later, has become an everyday part of my life,” Prior said.
The immense impact of 9-11 drew visitors from as far as France and China to the memorial. Many attendees took the time to read through notes others had left. A few sat in the chairs, taking in the gravity of the tribute.
Some notes discussed the mark that 9/11 left on writers’ lives, including those who didn’t have personal connections to the tragedy and some of whom weren’t born yet. Several mourned the loss of the iconic landmark that made downtown Manhattan what it once was.
“A lot of the notes talk about the people that we lost that day and how New York City lost its innocence that day,” said Dina Frisoli, another attendee. “I just wanted to make a tribute to the actual Twin Towers that fell.”
Frisoli went to high school and college in downtown Manhattan and remembers going to the Twin Towers and the Austin J. Tobin Plaza with her friends growing up.
“When I look at the skyline, I always still imagine the Twin Towers there,” Frisoli said. “25 years later, my heart still breaks for what the city used to be and all those innocent people.”
“25 years later, my heart still breaks for what the city used to be and all those innocent people.” Dina Frisoli