Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum was created to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. It is a beautiful place to visit and, of course, quite emotional.

Our family did not know anyone directly affected by the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building, but that did not lessen the memorial's impact on us. How could anyone not be affected by the deaths of 168 people? When you think that 19 of those who died were children, it seems to take on an even deeper meaning.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing them about the events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring them for the future of this city and the country as a whole.

Outside, you will find the Memorial. It's called the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial. There you will see the field of chairs – one for each person who died in the bombing. All of the chairs are in rows. This signifies which floor of the building the person was on when the bombing took place.

As we walked through the many chairs, we noticed that some of the chairs were smaller than others. We found someone to ask about the difference in the sizes of the chairs and we were told that the larger chairs were to represent the adults and the smaller chairs represented the children. I sighed and thought to myself that I should have been able to figure that out without asking someone. What a sad thing to have to say out loud.

The 24,000 square foot interactive learning Memorial Museum tells the story of the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. If you get a chance to go, please do. You can hear the only known recording of the explosion and see the havoc that followed the bombing. There is also a section where you can learn about each of the individuals who died and their family members as they tell their stories. It takes on a whole new meaning when you see the faces of the people who died.

Did you know that 30 children were orphaned on April 19, 1995?

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum will touch your heart. It isn't just a place of remembrance, though. It is also a place of courage, strength and hope. Over $8.9 million dollars has been donated to provide scholarships to more than 168 children affected by the bombing. At least 123 of those children have already received scholarship money.

One of the things that I found to be a surprise and a delight was the "Survivor Tree". Somehow, in the midst of all the damage and fire, one lone tree managed to survive. It is now the logo for the Oklahoma City National Memorial. How it still stands can only be known by God.

As you look out from the area where the tree stands, you will see the bronze Gates of Time. On one gate, the time reads 9:01. One the other gate, the time reads 9:03. All of the chairs are placed between those two gates – signifying what was lost in the span of time in between.

The bomb went off at 9:02am

Also between the gates is a reflecting pool. It is amazingly peaceful. Here is a picture of our girls standing in front of the water.

I let them dip their fingers in the water, but that was all. It was a place to honor others and it somehow felt sacred.

On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck with explosives in front of the complex and, at 9:02am, a massive explosion occurred which sheared the entire north side of the building, killing 168 people.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum share what happened that day. The story is awful and many lives will be changed forever. But it doesn't end there. When you visit, you will learn about the strength of others and the hope that we all have for the future.

On April 19th, there will be a REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY.

At 9 am each April 19, many people gather under the Survivor Tree to remember "those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever" by the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building.

Entry into the Oklahoma City National Memorial is free of charge, thanks to the generous support of Cox Communications. The Memorial Museum will open at 10am, following the Remembrance Ceremony at the Survivor Tree.

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