9/11 Memorial Museum considers $25 entry fee to Ground Zero, angers politicos and tourists

While the 9/11 Memorial that opens Sept. 11 will always be free, visitors and politicians expressed outrage that the subterranean museum that debuts a year later could be so pricey.

"If they don't charge for Arlington, the Smithsonian or Pearl Harbor, it's indecent to charge for the World Trade Center," said Abby Lowenstein, 16, of Los Angeles, who toured the site with her parents yesterday.

City Councilman Fernando Cabrera (D-Fordham) agreed.

"I represent the third poorest district in the city, and I can tell you, most of my constituents won't be able to afford $20 or $25," Cabrera said.

Officials had been saying for the last few years that a charge was possible, but never floated any dollar figures. A permanent cash stream is needed to cover annual operating costs of up to $60 million, they contend.

That means museumgoers could be hit with a "suggested donation" similar to the $25 now posted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, said Joe Daniels, president of the National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum.