By Jessie Forand
NEW YORK — As the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks nears, New York’s dedicated 9/11 museum is changing memorial plans because of a budget crisis.
FOX 5 NY reported the 9/11 Memorial & Museum abandoned plans for special exhibitions to mark the anniversary. Moments of silence, a reading of victims’ names, and a tribute in light will take place.
[Read next: Special events to commemorate 20th anniversary of 9/11]
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum fell into a budget crisis, which included layoffs and furloughs for staff and an end to new exhibition plans, including those for other national events like the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando and one about how music helped America cope after 9/11, FOX 5 reported.
The nonprofit said it lost nearly 90% of its operating income, mostly from ticket sales.
Financial hardship was anticipated, according to Rosaleen Tallon DaRos, whose brother was killed while working as an FDNY firefighter.
She said the National Park Service should oversee the site, enabling the federal government to care for it.