New York ( CNN ) -- Nearly 13 years after terrorists hijacked four airliners , crashed them and killed almost 3,000 people , a museum dedicated to the day that changed America will open in New York . The National September 11 Memorial Museum will open to the general public on May 21 , the museum and memorial group announced Monday . The museum , located at the site of the original World Trade Center , will feature a core memorial exhibition that pays tribute to the 2,983 people killed in the September 11 , 2001 attacks and in the February 26 , 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center . A second historical exhibition , told through personal artifacts , photographs , audio and video footage and first-person testimonials , will explore what led up to the terror strikes , examine the aftermath and illustrate how 9/11 continues to shape our world , according to a statement from the museum . `` When the museum opens to the public on May 21 , millions will come to further understand the experiences , courageous actions , and terrible losses that we saw on 9/11 and in the aftermath . The museum will forever remind us of the capacity we have to come together when the times require , '' 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels said . The official opening will be preceded by a five day , 24-hour dedication period during which members of the 9/11 community will have exclusive access to the museum and memorial . During that time , family members of those lost on 9/11 , rescue and recovery workers , active duty first responders from agencies that lost members in the attacks and survivors of the attacks -- as well as lower Manhattan residents and business owners -- will be able to visit the memorial and museum when it is best for them , the release said . `` We are honored that the first people to experience this museum will be the men and women who came to our aid and protected us on 9/11 , the families of the innocent victims killed that day , and the survivors who lived to tell the tale of an unimaginable horror so that we may learn from the past . The museum is built upon their incredible stories , '' 9/11 Memorial chair and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said . Family members of those killed on that day will not have to pay admission to the museum , nor will rescue and recovery workers who are registered with the Memorial . Tickets for the general public will be available beginning March 26 on the museum 's website . The museum will also house a repository of the 8,000 sets of remains that have yet to be identified from the 9/11 attacks . The remains , which are in the custody of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner , will be kept behind a wall in an area off-limits to the public , said 9/11 museum spokesman Michael Frazier . The museum 's website says the wall , which visitors will be able to view , will be inscribed with the words of Roman poet Virgil : `` No day shall erase you from the memory of time . '' Only medical examiners and victims ' families will be given access to the repository , where DNA identifications of the unidentified remains will continue , according to representatives from the museum and the medical examiner 's office . The decision to house the remains in the museum repository has been controversial . In 2011 , 17 families of 9/11 victims filed a petition in court to force the museum to consult with victims ' families before deciding what to do with the remains . They eventually asked for a congressional hearing . Both efforts were unsuccessful . On its website , the museum said the decision to move the remains to the repository at the museum was due to the overwhelming feedback received from families after the attacks . `` You will never be able to please everyone . When it comes to human remains , we have to treat them with as much dignity and respect ( as ) they deserve , '' said Lee Ielpi , president and co-founder of 911 Tribute Center . Ielpi lost his son , a 29-year-old firefighter , on 9/11 . `` Now is the time to bring those remains back to where they have been murdered . '' When hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were intentionally crashed into the north and south towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11 , 2,753 people were killed . On the same day , another 224 people died when hijacked planes crashed into the Pentagon and in a field outside Shanksville , Pennsylvania . A February 26 , 1993 terror attack -- also at the World Trade Center -- left six people dead . CNN 's Adrienne Zulueta and Chris Kokenes contributed to this report .
The National 9/11 Museum will open to the public on May 21 . Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos:Photos: Remains of unidentified victims will be moved to a new resting place within the museum . They will be kept behind a wall in an area off-limits to the public , officials tell CNN .