In Case You Missed It: The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and Visitor Education Center Featured in Arlington Now
Arlington Now recently featured a story on the Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center (VEC), spotlighting the powerful vision behind this long-awaited national project and the growing momentum to bring it to life.
As the article outlines, the VEC will serve as a companion to the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, located just steps away from where American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001. The Center will offer visitors a deeper understanding of the events of that day, honoring the 184 lives lost, the heroism that followed, and the global impact that continues to shape our world.
A major milestone is on the horizon: the official groundbreaking is now scheduled for September 10, 2026—just one day before the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
This moment marks more than the start of construction; it’s the culmination of years of collaboration, advocacy, and commitment from families of the fallen, survivors, veterans, public servants, and supporters across the country.
The Center is being designed as a $35 million, state-of-the-art facility with permanent exhibition space, survivor and family testimonials, and educational programming for students and visitors of all ages. It will also include event space, dedicated parking and drop-off areas, and improved pedestrian access to connect the VEC to the Memorial itself.
Working closely with families, first responders, and education experts, the team has developed a dozen exhibit areas that aim to inform, inspire, and ensure that the lessons of 9/11 endure for future generations. By the time the Center is expected to open in 2029, more than a quarter of the U.S. population will have been born after the attacks—a powerful reminder of the importance of this mission.
We’re grateful to Arlington Now for helping amplify the story of this meaningful project. As excitement builds toward September, we look forward to sharing more about the groundbreaking and how the public can be part of this historic effort.
To learn more about the Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center and how you can support the mission, visit pentagonmemorial.org.

ICYMI: President Signs FY2026 Defense Bill Including $12 Million for National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 5, 2026 -- The Pentagon Memorial Fund (PMF) announced today that the FY2026 Defense Bill, signed into law by President Trump, includes $12 million in federal funding to support the establishment of a Visitor Education Center (VEC) adjacent to the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.

"The inclusion of this $12 million is a monumental step forward for a long-overdue project," said Joseph Kornhoff, Executive Director of the Pentagon Memorial Fund. "Twenty-five years have passed since that day. It is imperative that we provide a meaningful educational experience for the generations who know 9/11 only through the lens of history books."
While the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was the first of the three attack sites to be dedicated (opening in 2008), it remains the only site without a permanent facility to educate its nearly one million annual visitors.
The future Visitor Education Center will serve as a definitive resource, featuring:
• Historic Artifacts: Preserving the physical history of the attack.
• Personal Narratives: First-hand accounts from survivors and families of the fallen.
• Interactive Displays: Programs focused on the themes of service, resilience, and national unity.
Established in 2003 by the families of the 184 victims of American Airlines Flight 77, the PMF has spent over two decades collaborating with federal, state, and private partners to honor those lost at 9:37 AM on September 11, 2001.
"The Pentagon Memorial Fund's mission has always relied on the generous support of public and private partners committed to the promise to 'Never Forget,'" Kornhoff added. "We are grateful to federal policymakers for helping us fulfill our collective responsibility to honor those who perished and to educate future generations so that such a tragedy never happens again."
The allocation in the FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill provides a critical foundation for the project's total construction costs. With these resources secured, the Pentagon Memorial Fund will transition into the next phase of development, moving closer to breaking ground on a facility that ensures the lessons of 9/11 are etched into the "granite of time."
About the Pentagon Memorial Fund
The Pentagon Memorial Fund is a non-profit organization established by the families of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Its mission is to provide for the construction and maintenance of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and the future Visitor Education Center. For more information, visit visit pentagonmemorial.org.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — On this Memorial Day, there's a push to make sure future generations never forget the terrorist attacks that changed our world forever. The Pentagon Memorial Fund is working to build an education center at the 9/11 Memorial in Arlington, which honors the 184 lives lost there on Sept. 11, 2001, and all who sacrifice so that we may live in freedom. “[The younger generation] really don't understand what happened that day, what happened in response that day and then looking long-term, how their lives to this moment are being impacted,” said Sean Connaughton, the chairman of the Pentagon Memorial Fund Board of Directors. Connaughton, a former Virginia State Transportation Secretary, told WAVY how 9/11 changed his life. “I had just come off active duty the week before, that morning I had gone to the Pentagon gym,” he said. He was on his way to the Navy Command Center, which is right where the plane hit, but checked the time and ran out to a meeting instead. “And so, there are people that I worked with in the reserves as well as people I knew in New York who were killed,” Connaughton said. Pentagon Memorial Fund Executive Director Jim Laycheck's brother, Dave, did not make it out. “And I can remember even thinking what happens if 10-15 years from now people are driving by the Pentagon and they don't remember what side got hit because you know, life goes on,” Laycheck told WAVY. He made it his mission to erect the first 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon. It opened in 2008, but unlike the memorials in New York and Pennsylvania, it has no education center. “Quite often we say build it and they will come, well listen, they are already coming that's why we have to built it,” Connaughton said. “More than a million visitors a year walk the hallowed ground, but without any context what are they taking away?” Connaughton said. “We see polls that say it was a plane crash, we see social media calling it a plane crash, we see others calling it a bomb.” An education center, these men say, could put it in perspective. Here, you can see a two-story building design with high-tech, hands-on exhibits that will tell the stories of the people who perished, how the world responded and how it changed after that day. “You used to be able to go up to the airport and go right up to the gate and get on the plane, you know we've got TSA now and Homeland Security, all these things,” Laycheck said. “We have a very divided nation now and we seem to be mad at each other for everything,” Connaughton said, and as he can attest, timing can make all the difference. “We have got to teach the next generation that we are much better working together as a community and as a country than we are splitting apart.” The goal is to have the education center opened by the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. Their goal is to raise $35 million. So far, they have raised about $15 million. They are also asking for a federal appropriation. “No donation is too small and you can can feel good about where your money is going in trying to create something that will be important to future generations,” Laycheck said. If you would like to donate, click here.

Ep: 291 – Pentagon Memorial Foundation with Mr. Sean Connaughton