The latest addition to the Memorial is the Tower of Voices, located at the entrance of the park.

It’s one of the first things visitors see and hear as they enter the memorial.

Hundreds of people braved the cold rain Sunday to pay tribute for the Tower of Voices dedication ceremony.

Staring up at the 93-foot-tall Tower of Voices, Brendan Smith listened to these wind chimes as he attended the Tower of Voices Dedication.

“Nature is playing the instrument,” said Brendan Smith. And he’s reminded of the 40 passengers and crew members on board Flight 93 who lost their lives 17 years ago. “It’s very symbolic of the events that happened here that day.”

Brendan Smith and Elizabeth Valmont traveled from across the country for the Tower’s Dedication on Sunday in Shanksville at the Flight 93 National Memorial. They helped design the acoustics of the chimes.

“In addition to the soundscape of the crickets and the trees, now we’ll hear this beautiful melody of the one voice and the multiple voices in the tower,” said Elizabeth Valmont, Project Leader. “We’ve made an impact on the world, but on the families.”

Brendan & his parents first paid their respects just one year after the crash, and have returned year after year.

“He at the time, was a kid, 20 years ago. He was 7 or 8-years-old,” said Brian Smith, Brendan’s father. “Never would have imagined that he would later work on this project.”

“Pretty breathtaking to see how the memorial has evolved from just a fence with some mementos and some post cards on it to the tower and the museum,” said Brendan Smith. “It’s really cool to be a part of it.”

Only eight of the chimes were installed in time for Sunday’s Dedication. The rest will be tuned and installed later this fall.