Our first stop in Oklahoma was the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh set off a bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. In the span of moments, hundreds of lives were irrevocably changed.
We wanted to pay our respects to those whose lives were sadly taken that day and honor the way the city chooses to remember them.
Memorial
The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial is free to visit and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Field of Empty Chairs, Reflecting Pool, and Rescuers’ Orchard occupy the space where the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Fifth Street, the Athenian Building, and Oklahoma Water Resources Board once stood.
After the bomb exploded, a third of the Federal Building was reduced to rubble, dozens of cars were incinerated, and more than 320 nearby buildings were damaged or destroyed. However, the human toll was more tragic.
Field of Empty Chairs
168 souls were lost, including 19 children. The empty chairs are organized in nine rows, each representing a floor of the Federal Building where the field is now located. Five chairs on the western side honor the five lives lost outside the building.
They are hand-crafted from bronze, glass, and stone. Every chair has a name etched on the glass base. The smaller chairs represent the 19 children.
We initially visited the memorial late in the afternoon. Knowing that the chairs are lit at night, we left for dinner and then came back as the sun was setting.
As it got dark and the lights grew brighter, a sense of awe came over me. It really is a beautiful tribute.
Reflecting Pool and Gates of Time
Twin gates frame the moment of destruction – 9:02 a.m. According to Memorial website, the 9:01 Gate represents the innocence before the attack and the 9:03 Gate symbolizes the moment healing began.
Between the gates, the calm surface of the shallow pool “creates the reflection of someone changed forever by their visit to the Memorial.”
Survivor Tree and Rescuers’ Orchard
This American elm was damaged but withstood the blast. It continues as a living symbol of resilience and hope.
Rescuers’ Orchard trees surround and protect the Survivor Tree like the rescuers and volunteers who rushed to help.
Survivor Wall
This is the north and east wall of the Murrah Building, the only remaining original portions. Salvaged granite is inscribed with the names of more than 600 survivors from the building and surrounding area.
Museum
There is a Memorial parking garage across the street and parking is free with paid admission to the museum. Museum tickets can be purchased onsite or prepaid online.
Oklahoma City Museum
2023 Price: $15 per adult
The experience starts with a ride up the elevator to the third floor. Visitors start here, learning about that morning, before witnessing the heartache and revelations that followed. There are 10 sequential chapters to walk through.
It is a self-guided tour through the museum, where you can go at your own pace. The museum estimates it takes the average visitor 1.5 hours to walk through it. There are plaques, artifacts, and videos to explain every detail of the bombing and the response in the aftermath.
Near the start, we had to wait to be let through a set of doors which acted as a ‘gateway’ to the Water Resources Board. There the lights dimmed, and we heard real audio from the beginning of their meeting moments before the bombing and then we heard the rumble itself. The audio brought the moment to life more than just reading about it ever could.
The Museum’s Gallery of Honor serves to memorialize the 168 individuals who were killed. Each has a personal photograph, biography, and artifacts chosen by their family members.
The final chapters focus on the investigation and convictions. There is a glass area where we could see a piece of the original Journal Record Building and the damage it sustained.
I think everyone should visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial if they are in the area. It is a shining example of how to cover a tragedy while still bringing the focus to those who were lost, those who survived, and those who came from near and far to help. I was truly moved.