What Can Your Museum Do?
These suggestions are drawn from museums' responses to Sept. 11 tragedy and plans to mark the anniversary in September 2002.

Invite the community to use museum facilities-auditorium, cafeteria, meeting rooms, outdoor spaces, gardens, etc.-for Sept. 11 observances or public events.

• Invite local elected officials and community leaders to a Day of Remembrance program.
• Honor local firefighters, rescue workers, and police and their families.
• Host a community event such as a concert, poetry reading, or patriotic ceremony.
• Host a community conversation, panel discussion, or lecture on America in times of crisis, the value of America's freedoms, religious tolerance, or cultural diversity. Invite local elected officials, religious groups, veterans organizations, and/or other civic organizations to participate.

Offer programs or exhibits that remember those who lost their lives, celebrate America's freedoms, or otherwise commemorate Sept. 11.

• Present an exhibit that shows the diverse ways people express their ideas, create objects of beauty, inquire about the world, and practice their religious beliefs.
• Allow visitors to share reflections and thoughts in visitor comment journals or murals.
• Work with teachers and schools to develop materials for students about America's freedoms.
• Offer reflections on your community's response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
• Help local cable or public television stations develop Sept. 11-focused programming.

Be as accessible as you can, given your museum's resources.

• Offer extended hours-e.g., 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.-or stay open in the evening.
• Offer guided tours.
• Offer activities for schools or families.
• Offer free admission.