Voices of Northern Virginia

The Museum of Northern Virginia is collecting spoken memories of September 11, 2001, twenty-five years on.

Smoke rises from the west side of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
The Pentagon on September 11, 2001. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll, public domain.

Tell It in Your Own Voice

On September 11, 2001, the attack on the Pentagon happened in Northern Virginia: in Arlington, above I-395, along the commutes and school days and workdays of this region. If you lived here then, you carry a piece of that history, and a voice that can tell it the way no document can.

How to record your memory:

  • Record a voice memo on your phone or computer. A few minutes is plenty.
  • Say your name and where you were that morning.
  • Tell your story the way you would tell it to a neighbor: how you learned what had happened, how you got home, who you waited for, what the days after were like.

Twenty-five years on, these spoken memories are exactly what the historical record is made of. Your recording may be preserved and featured in our 25th anniversary digital exhibit and in future NovaMuseum collections. By submitting, you give NovaMuseum permission to preserve and publish your recording with credit to you.

Two Ways to Share Your Recording

Option 1: Email It

Record your voice memo, then send it straight from your phone or computer to [email protected]. Please include your name and where you were that morning.

Email Your Recording

Option 2: Upload It Here

Use the form on this page to upload your recording directly from your phone or computer. No email needed.

Go to the Upload Form

Upload Your Recording

Name
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload
Accepted formats: m4a, mp3, wav, aac, ogg. Maximum size 50 MB.

By submitting this form you give the Museum of Northern Virginia permission to preserve and publish this recording with credit.