Many Americans can still remember what they were doing the moment the first plane hit the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
The attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more, forever changed the nation and left a lasting mark on communities across the country.
In the decades since, memorials have been erected not only throughout the United States but around the world. There are now more than 1,100 official 9/11 memorials across the United States, with more than 1,200 documented globally, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
Here is a look at several 9/11 memorials across California and events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Southern California 9/11 memorials
Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden
"The Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden
is a place for those who wish to honor, respect and remember the 2,977 victims, rescuers, and heroes who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center, near Shanksville, PA, and at the Pentagon," the memorial's website says.
An original steel beam from the World Trade Center stands as the heart of the memorial.
"Surrounding it, carefully designed vignettes represent each of the three sites: the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania," the website says.
This year, a ceremony will be held starting at 11 a.m. at Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden, 445 North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Fountain Valley 9/11 Memorial
The Fountain Valley 9/11 memorial features a 300-pound steel I-beam salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage, according to reporting from the Orange County Register. It was crated as an Eagle Scout project by Ben Narodick and dedicated in October 2002, the newspaper reported.
A ceremony will begin at 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2026.
It "concludes shortly after 9:03 a.m., the moment the second tower was struck — with a verbal tribute and a moment of silence for the 2,996 lives lost that tragic day," the city's website says.
The memorial is located at Veterans Park at 17635 Los Alamos St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708.
“Recovering Equilibrium” 9/11 memorial at LAX
“Recovering Equilibrium” is a public art installation and 9/11 memorial at the Los Angeles International Airport.
“While New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia bore the brunt of this horrific day two decades ago, Los Angeles was also deeply impacted by the loss of the passengers and crew on the three planes that were originally heading to LAX that morning,” Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), said when the installation was refurbished in 2021.
The installation is located at the base of the Theme Building at the Los Angeles International Airport.
Lisa Frost memorial in Rancho Santa Margarita
The Lisa Frost memorial in Rancho Santa Margarita honors Lisa Anne Frost, a local woman who died aboard United Flight 175 during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation. The site features an oak tree, symbolic fencing and a plaque dedicated to her memory and the victims of 9/11.
"On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the oak tree continues to stand tall and strong – a poignant reminder that our country will grow and persevere together," according to SAMLARC.
The memorial is located on the lakeshore of Lago Santa Margarita adjacent to the Beach Club at 21472 Avenida de los Fundadores, Rancho Santa Margarita.
Los Angeles Fire Department 9/11 memorial
Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center serves as the permanent home of the Los Angeles World Trade Center Memorial, according to LAFD. It features a 23-ton, 22-foot-tall steel column salvaged from the ruins of Ground Zero.
"On September 11, 2026, we mark twenty-five years since the attacks that changed our nation. On that day, we lost 411 brothers and sisters from the FDNY, NYPD, and FDNY EMS, who ran toward danger so others could reach safety. Their sacrifice remains woven into the identity of every firefighter, police officer, and EMS provider who serves today, in every department, in every city, including ours," LAFD said in an Instagram post.
A remembrance ceremony will be held Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, starting at 9 a.m. at Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center, 1700 Stadium Way, Los Angeles, CA.
9/11 Memorial Project in Manhattan Beach
Per the direction of the Manhattan Beach City Council, staff and the Cultural Arts Commission created a memorial in remembrance of Sept. 11, 2001, "using two steel beams that the City's Fire Department received from the World Trade Center site," the city's website says.
"The design includes landscaping around the columns and a surfboard-shaped bench donated by the family of Chad Keller, a Manhattan Beach native and Bishop Montgomery High School graduate who died aboard Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon on 9-11," according to the Voices Center for Resilience.
The memorial is located at the southwest corner of 15th Street and Valley Drive by Manhattan Beach Fire Station 1.
A memorial ceremony will be held Friday, Sept. 11, starting at 9 a.m.
Heroes Garden at Pepperdine University in Malibu
The garden site was dedicated on Sept. 11, 2002, according to the university's website. It was opened to the public the following year and rededicated in 2011 "as the Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., Heroes Garden, honoring in perpetuity our Graziadio Business School alumnus and hero who put America first that fateful day."
"Stone walls, grassy mounds, trees, and native plant life separate this quiet, reflective space from the busy world," the university says. A narrow channel of water, the Stream of Conflict, runs from the fountain down the length of the walkway ahead, crossing the path three times. Boulders along the way are inscribed with six quotations that invite reflection as visitors proceed down the garden walk."
The garden is located on the main Malibu campus of Pepperdine University at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90263.
This year, the university will host a ceremony at the at Alumni Park alongside a Waves of Flags display starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.
Central California 9/11 memorials
California 9/11 memorial in Clovis
The California 9/11 Memorial in Clovis is a permanent monument honoring the 2,977 people who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to the memorial's website.
The site features granite replicas of the World Trade Center Twin Towers and the Pentagon, a bronze first-responder statue, and a sapling from the original Survivor Tree.
Each year, a ceremony is held at the memorial on Sept. 11.
"This commemoration ceremony and dedicated monument are the largest of their kind outside of New York City," the website says.
This year's will be held on Friday, Sept. 11, starting at 8:30 a.m. at 3485 Never Forget Lane, Clovis, CA 93612.
Northern California 9/11 memorials
Cal Expo’s 9/11 Memorial Plaza in Sacramento
Cal Expo's 9/11 Memorial Plaza is a permanent outdoor tribute dedicated to the victims, survivors, and heroes of the September 11 attacks. It features a 125,000-pound steel I-beam recovered from the World Trade Center North Tower.
"Central to the exhibit is a beautiful fountain including a granite sphere inscribed with all of the names of the September 11 victims, as well as a carillon bell tower, reflections of the World Trade Center, and individual memorials to American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93, aborted in a field in Pennsylvania," Cal Expo's website says.
This year, there will be a ceremony starting at 9 a.m. at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento.
The Flight 93 Memorial in Union City
The Flight 93 Memorial at Sugar Mill Landing Park in Union City was completed on Dec. 8, 2007, making Union City "the first city in the United States to create a memorial specifically for the heroes of Flight 93," according to the city's website.
"The memorial includes 40 granite stones bearing the names of the passengers and crew members along a path that begins at a 'Circle of Remembrance,'" the city says. "On the front side of the 40 stones is a polished stainless-steel mirror to reflect the viewer’s own image to signify that it could have been any one of us aboard Flight 93 that day."
The backs of the stones were intentionally "left unfinished to signify that the heroes had unfinished lives," the city says.
A 25th anniversary commemoration will be held on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, starting at 10 a.m. at Sugar Mill Landing Park at 3296 Courthouse Place, Union City, CA 94587.
San José Fire Department 9/11 memorial
The San Jose Fire Department 9/11 memorial features an authentic piece of World Trade Center steel displayed in the lobby of San José Fire Department Fire Station 1.
"Through a Port Authority program, thousands of pieces of World Trade Center steel have been turned into memorials in all 50 states. The San Jose Fire Department is honored to display one of these pieces in the lobby of Fire Station 1, in downtown San Jose as a memorial to those who lost their lives that fateful day," the department said in a 2020 Facebook post.
The memorial is located at San José Fire Department Fire Station 1 located at 201 North Market Street in downtown San Jose.
The San José Fire Department will host a commemorative ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of Patriot Day on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.
"First responders will come together on Patriot Day to form a procession from South Market Street and West San Fernando Street to Fire Station 1 (255 N. Market Street)," the department said. "After the procession, there will be a brief outdoor commemoration ceremony followed by a reception hosted at and by the San Jose Fire Museum located next door (201 N. Market Street)."
San Ramon Memorial Park
San Ramon Memorial Park is a 16.3-acre public park in San Ramon dedicated to the victims and heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The park includes a memorial park plaque.
The park is located at Bollinger Canyon Road and San Ramon Valley Boulevard in San Ramon.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: From LA to Sacramento: Where to find 9/11 memorials across California
