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California State Fair Memorial Plaza Foundation

About the 9/11 Memorial Plaza

Cal Expo’s 9/11 Memorial Plaza is an outdoor permanent exhibit that covers the tragic events of September 11th; Flight 93, the Pentagon attack and the World Trade Center attack.

The 9/11 Memorial Plaza features a steel I-Beam, a 125,000 pound piece of wreckage from “Ground Zero” at New York City’s World Trade Center; and a 5,180 pound granite sphere and fountain facet. The granite sphere is inscribed with the names of all 3,071 victims, and is suspended upon a fountain of water which allows the ball to be felt and rotated by hand to view its entire surface. In 2003, a 50-foot-tall Carillon Bell Tower with 23 “Singing Bells” was added to the Plaza display where it soothes and entertains visitors with a number of inspirational tunes.

The California State Fair has provided the land at the fairgrounds for the permanent home of the Memorial Plaza.  The Plaza is located near the Main Gate next to Expo Building 2.

“The Memorial Plaza is in honor of our great nation, the tragic events of September 11 and the open acts of bravery seen that day,” states Norb Bartosik, General Manager of the California Exposition & State Fair. “September 11 showed us what a hero really is.”

Visit the Official Cal Expo 9/11 Memorial website 

Additional Information

About Larry Davis, 9/11 Memorial Plaza Founder

The 9/11 Memorial Plaza was made possible largely through the efforts of Mr. Larry Davis, a former Cal Expo Board Member and Fair industry veteran. After September 11, 2001, Davis embarked on a multi-year endeavor to bring the exhibit to life. Davis oversaw all fundraising and construction elements of the exhibit, and in 2002, he established the 9/11 Memorial Plaza Fund. The Memorial Plaza Fund’s credo is to educate the public about the events of September 11, 2001 and provide a funding mechanism for continual expansion of and improvements to the exhibit.

Larry Davis passed away on April 7, 2006.  Those interested in sending donations in his name to the 9/11 Memorial Plaza Fund may do so by mailing checks to the following address:

9/11 Memorial Plaza Fund
In Memory of Larry Davis
California Exposition & State Fair
P.O. Box 15649
Sacramento, CA 95852

Today, the 9/11 Memorial Plaza provides a unique area of reflection on the Cal Expo grounds. Thanks to Larry Davis and his legacy, as well as the ongoing support of the general public, the area is continually being upgraded and improved.

For more information, please contact Mr. Tim Albiani at the September 11 Memorial Plaza Foundation located at 4209 Loazell Court Sacramento, CA  95864 or call him at (916) 257-4437.

Larry Davis Resolution