Private Ceremonies Mark 9/11 in New York, Washington

Private ceremonies are planned in New York and Washington, D.C., to mark the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, with observances at Ground Zero and the Pentagon to be reserved for survivors and victims' families only.

However, while the World Trade Center site will be closed until 6 p.m., it will be open for the first time on a Sept. 11 anniversary for public tours, reports USA Today.

Vote Now: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance?

The museum is open for victims’ families from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and for first responders from 12:30 to 9 p.m.

"We wanted to take it back to the state where it was freely accessible to the public at night," said Joe Daniels, president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

"The memorial pools will be lit themselves, which looks absolutely stunning at night."

The ceremony in New York can be watched live online at the memorial's website, 9/11memorial.org.

The crash site plans include:

In New York City: At the World Trade Center site, a private ceremony with the traditional reading of the names of the 2,983 victims of the three attacks — in New York, the Pentagon and at Shanksville, Pa. — will begin at 8:46 a.m., following a moment of silence marking when the first plane hit the North Tower.

Following other key moments to be observed, the program will wrap up at around 12:30 p.m. Thursday night. The "Tribute in Light" twin beams that represent the destroyed towers will be lit beginning at sunset and remain on until sunrise on Sept. 12. The twin beams were also lit Wednesday night, with nearly 100 of the 7,000-watt xenon bulbs being illuminated into the night sky, reports The Blaze.

Moments of silence to be observed include: 8:46 a.m., New York City's moment of silence in observance of the first plane striking the North Tower; 9:03 a.m., moment of silence in observance of the second plane striking the South Tower; 9:37 a.m., moment of silence in observance of Flight 77 striking the Pentagon; 9:59 a.m., moment of silence in observance of the South Tower falling; 10:03 a.m.: moment of silence in observance of Flight 93 crashing near Shanksville, Pa.; 10:28 a.m., moment of silence in observance of the North Tower falling.

At the Pentagon: The national 9/11 memorial will remain closed to the public until 11 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., a commemoration will begin, hosted by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. President Barack Obama is also scheduled to speak and a moment of silence will be observed at 9:37 a.m., when one of the three hijacked planes hit the Pentagon.

In Shanksville, Pa.: The Flight 93 National Memorial will be open all day, and an observance of the crash will begin at 9:30 a.m., when a reading of the names of the passengers and the crew of Flight 93 will be done. In addition, there will be a wreath laying ceremony and the ringing of the Bells of Remembrance. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert will address the observance.

The first ceremony at the World Trade Center site was held just six months after the Twin Towers came down. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had just been elected three months after the attack, was in charge then and remained as master of ceremonies for the next 10 years.

However, reports The Associated Press, organizers in 2012 banned politicians, including Bloomberg, from speaking at the event after elected officials tried to play a larger part.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who began his term in January, also allowed the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center to organize Thursday's commemoration activities.

Urgent: Discover your risk for heart disease, take the test now!

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Related Stories:

• Cyberattacks Pose Grave Security Threat: 9/11 Experts
• NYPD Deputy Commissioner: World's Top Terror Target Is Safe