As the hottest ticket in town, free reservations to visit the new 9/11 Memorial in its first 10 days of operations are completely "sold out." However, there is a way to be one of the 1,500 people let in at a time, but it's going to cost you a bit. The Daily News reports that tour companies like Statue Cruises, Gray Line Tours, and even New York Water Taxi will be able to give their patrons access to the memorial thanks to a special deal worked out with the memorial's management. For instance, Statue Cruises will transport their customers to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the 9/11 Memorial for $20.50. To just see the memorial is $10, including a $2.50 fee that goes back into the memorial's coffers.
"I think it's pretty modest," Statue Cruises CEO Mike Burke tells the paper, "I don't think these are anything but economical." An arrangement between the memorial and the tour companies was forged to lessen traffic in the Holland Tunnel and take the burden off the roads around the World Trade Center site as tourists converge there for the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Five million people are expected to see the memorial in its inaugural year...and none of them will be able to use a bathroom on-site.
