Last night the Pentagon Memorial, which honors the lives of the 184 people who died when a hijacked airliner crashed into the Pentagon during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, officially opened to the public. The permanent outdoor memorial, which is made up of 184 benches, each with a name of a victim, will now be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. DCist photographer Meaghan Gay and many of our Flickr contributors were there last night for the opening ceremony, and captured these images. more ›

Due to security surrounding the dedication of the new Pentagon Memorial on Thursday morning, all Metrobus service that would usually run through the Pentagon Transit Center will be rerouted to Pentagon City. The Center services a good number of bus routes, so if your commute takes you through Northern Virginia on a bus, we'd recommend looking in to some alternate plans on Thursday. Metrorail service at and through the Pentagon station will not be affected. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Even if you don't plan to do anything with your day like attending a memorial event or volunteering, it's rather difficult to forget what day it is today -- every time you see the date Sept. 11 on a credit card slip or memo, you're going to be reminded. The Post has a big interactive feature up on the creation of the Pentagon Memorial, which is scheduled to open in one... more ›

Ahhh, Thursday. First day of the weekend. And a good day to play hooky and watch Trinidad and Tobago (powered by Howard alum Shaka Hislop) take on England at noon. And the news for the day: Controversy Over Terrorism Funds Continues: Local officials feel they were cheated of valuable federal anti-terrorism funds. Federal officials claim that local requests of funds for anti-terror program were ineffective at best. Who should we believe? The Post is... more ›

This week we discussed a jailbreak, found ways to stop global warming locally, spied some naked PETA protestors, dumped the pump, and reviewed Middle Distance Runner's new album. We checked out (and mocked) D.C. Late Night Shots, expressed some reservations with the Pentagon Memorial, celebrated Pride Week, reviewed Assasins, and checked out what some local D.C. personalities were reading. We interviewed Pandora founder Tim Westergren, unlocked the mystery of OpenTable at local resturants, debated... more ›

The Washington Post reports today that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pentagon Memorial, commemorating those that died on September 11th, has been scheduled for June 15. The design includes 184 benches, each one engraved with the name and birth year of someone who perished in the Pentagon or on Flight 77, cantilevered over small reflecting pools. Located at the building's southwest corner, the memorial will occupy 1.93 acres and cost approximately $17.5 million to build.... more ›

As a commenter pointed out, this weekend presents a unique opportunity for commemorating the anniversary of September 11, 2001. For the first time since that day, the public will be allowed to see the areas of the Pentagon into which Flight 77 crashed.

The special tours will be held tomorrow, September 10, between 10 am and 2 pm. They'll convene at the south parking lot — here's a map showing its location relative to the Metro. Visitors will get to see the American Heroes Memorial, the cornerstone that has been placed at the point of impact, and a model of the planned Pentagon Memorial. The tour is free and open to the public, but photography won't be allowed and any bags you bring may be searched.

If you'd like more information, the Pentagon Tour Office can be reached at 703-697-1776.

Good news for those who were a bit wary of the Post colluding with faux-country artist Clint Black (oh, and parterning with the administration on a government-sponsored march supporting the military and the war) -- the Post announced today that it is dropping its plans to promote the Freedom Walk, set to take place September 11 on the Mall:

"As it appears that this event could become politicized, The Post has decided to honor the Washington area victims of 9/11 by making a contribution directly to the Pentagon Memorial Fund," said Eric Grant, a Post spokesman. "It is The Post's practice to avoid activities that might lead readers to question the objectivity of The Post's news coverage."

This photo was uploaded to DCist photos by mgdistrict. Today will be partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms until mid afternoon and highs in the mid 80s. more ›