New Pentagon Visitor Education Center Connects Future Generations to the History of September 11 Terrorist Attacks
As the United States marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Pentagon Memorial Fund is preparing to break ground on a new Visitor Education Center at the Pentagon, advancing a project nearly a decade in the making.
Fentress Studios, a Populous company, has worked alongside the Pentagon Memorial Fund on the project since 2017. A private organization separate from the Pentagon, the Pentagon Memorial Fund is leading the development of the Visitor Education Center. Fentress Studio’s work on the project builds on a collaboration with the organization. The Visitor Education Center continues the team’s work to address the site’s evolving needs and the lasting impact of the September 11 attacks.
The Visitor Education Center responds to a distinct need: creating a permanent place to preserve and share the history of the September 11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon.
Creating a place for a new generation to remember
On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon, killing all 64 passengers and crew members aboard and 125 people in the building. The new Visitor Education Center will complement the existing Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, honoring the 184 lives lost in the attack while creating a place to learn about September 11 and the impact that followed.
That role becomes more important with each passing year.
Hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren visit the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial each year. Today, those students belong to a generation born after September 11, 2001, one that encounters events not through lived experience, but through the stories, places and records entrusted with preserving them.
“Some places carry a deeper obligation than others. They hold stories that transcend generations, and thoughtful design can help ensure those stories remain tangible and meaningful long after firsthand memories have faded. For the Pentagon Visitor Education Center, that means honoring those affected by September 11 while creating a place where future generations can understand, connect with and learn from its history.” – Rhiannon Schroth, Associate Principal
The Visitor Education Center is shaped for that future.
At 52,500 square feet, the center will sit within walking distance of the existing Memorial, near Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Air Force Memorial. Its architecture draws from the surrounding memorial landscape, creating visual connections between the new center and the places of remembrance around it.
Repeated design elements in the building echo the rhythm of the Memorial’s 184 benches, tying the new center to the memorial landscape. Along the Memorial-facing side, a curved colonnade draws from the dignity and character of neighboring Arlington National Cemetery.
A responsibility beyond the building
For Fentress Studios, the Visitor Education Center is the result of nearly a decade working alongside the Pentagon Memorial Fund. Since 2017, the team has navigated a complex process while holding onto a clear purpose: creating a place that can carry the memory of September 11, 2001, and those who lost their lives forward.
In addition to the Visitor Education Center, Fentress Studios’ work at the Pentagon also includes the new Pentagon Control Tower and Fire Day Station, which opened in August 2026. The permanent facility replaces structures destroyed on September 11, 2001, and temporary facilities erected in the aftermath. The complex provides mission-critical support for the Pentagon heliport, bringing air traffic control and emergency response together in one facility.
Together, the Visitor Education Center and Control Tower reflect two sides of a longstanding relationship with the Pentagon Memorial Fund. One supports a mission reshaped by September 11. The other creates a place for its history to be understood by generations who did not experience it themselves.
