9/11 Pentagon Memorial Designated as an Affiliated Area of the National Park System

News Release Date: September 9, 2026
Contact: [email protected]

WASHINGTON - The National Park Service today announced the designation of the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial as an Affiliated Area of the National Park System, formally recognizing the memorial's national significance and strengthening the partnership to preserve and share the stories of the 184 victims killed at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11, 2001.

The designation was established through a Memorandum of Understanding among the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of War and the Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc. The agreement creates a formal affiliation with the National Park Service while leaving ownership and day-to-day management of the memorial unchanged. Through the partnership, the organizations will work together to strengthen public understanding of the memorial, its national significance and the events it commemorates.

The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is a place of remembrance, reflection and learning, and this affiliation recognizes its enduring national significance," said Jennifer T. Nersesian, Regional Director of the National Capital Region of the National Park Service. "We are honored to work alongside our partners to preserve this important place, honor the 184 lives lost here and ensure future generations understand the events of September 11 and their lasting impact on our nation.

Congress authorized the establishment of the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in 2001. Families of the victims raised funds to build a permanent memorial adjacent to the point of impact at the Pentagon. Dedicated on September 11, 2008, the memorial honors the 184 victims killed at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 77.

The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is owned and managed by the Department of War and is supported by the Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc., a Virginia nonprofit organization that conducts educational and commemorative activities related to the memorial, the Pentagon and the events of September 11. The Department of War will continue to manage the memorial following the designation.

Affiliated areas preserve nationally significant properties outside the National Park System and draw on partnerships with the National Park Service. The designation formally recognizes the memorial's national significance but does not make it a unit of the National Park System or change existing ownership and management arrangements.

The memorial is also a designated component of the 9/11 National Memorial Trail, which Congress established in 2021. The trail connects the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City; the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia; and Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.

The National Park Service has long helped preserve and share the history of September 11. Flight 93 National Memorial, a unit of the National Park System, commemorates the 40 passengers and crew members of United Airlines Flight 93. The National Park Service also administers the 9/11 Memorial Act Grant Program, which supports the preservation, maintenance, security and interpretation of eligible September 11 memorials.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Through stewardship of nationally significant places and partnerships with communities and organizations across the country, the National Park Service honors the victims, survivors, first responders, military personnel and others whose lives were forever changed by the attacks.

###

About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America's most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.