25 years of imagery chronicles the recovery and rebuilding of the World Trade Center site
Official 25-Year World Trade Center Time-Lapse
We Never Left | 25 years at the World Trade Center
NEW YORK, Sept. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EarthCam today unveiled two commemorative films drawn from its extraordinary visual archive of Ground Zero and Lower Manhattan, capturing the site’s evolution from the aftermath of September 11 through the skyline of today. Beginning with imagery from its live-streaming camera just days after the attacks, the time-lapse film brings together decades of change from multiple vantage points in a powerful visual account of resilience and transformation.
EarthCam began documenting Ground Zero days after September 11, when Founder and CEO Brian Cury installed a camera overlooking the site to support rescue and recovery efforts. As the mission at the site changed, EarthCam remained, preserving each successive phase of its evolution, curating an archive of over 14.7 million images and capturing one photo every minute for the past 25 years.
“We arrived at Ground Zero because we believed our technology could help, and we stayed because we understood how important it was to preserve this history,” said Brian Cury, founder and CEO of EarthCam. “For a quarter of a century, our cameras have borne witness to an extraordinary story of recovery, renewal and rebuilding. Visually documenting the most important 16 acres in America is one of the greatest responsibilities and privileges in EarthCam’s 30-year history.”
In conjunction with the anniversary time-lapse, EarthCam will premiere “We Never Left,” a short documentary featuring Cury’s personal account of EarthCam’s involvement at Ground Zero and the decision to continue documenting the site for decades to come.
The new time-lapse opens with some of EarthCam’s earliest imagery from September 11, 2001, and traces the transformation of the entire site through 2026, including the construction of many of the landmarks that now define the World Trade Center.
Featured buildings include:
- 4 World Trade Center, completed in 2013
- One World Trade Center, completed in 2014
- The Oculus, completed in 2016
- 3 World Trade Center, completed in 2018
- St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, completed in 2022
- Perelman Performing Arts Center, completed in 2023
- 2 World Trade Center, scheduled for completion in 2031
Across successive phases of redevelopment and generations of camera technology, EarthCam captured the changing landscape of Lower Manhattan, including new towers, transportation infrastructure, cultural institutions and memorial spaces. The archive of millions of images was donated to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and offers a rare visual record of the evolution of the World Trade Center campus and the surrounding skyline over 25 years.
The commemorative time-lapse and “We Never Left” are dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and honor the first responders, recovery workers, construction professionals and others who contributed to the recovery and rebuilding of the World Trade Center site.
Watch the Official 25-Year World Trade Center Time-Lapse
Watch “We Never Left”
About EarthCam
EarthCam®, headquartered in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, is the global leader in live camera technology, visual intelligence, content and services. Founded in 1996, EarthCam combines advanced camera technology, reality capture and AI-powered analytics to help organizations document progress, improve safety and promote their work, while connecting millions of people to iconic places and events around the world.
EarthCam’s 30-year legacy includes documentation of some of the world’s most significant construction projects and landmarks, including 9/11 Museum & Memorial, Hudson Yards, the Statue of Liberty Museum, SoFi Stadium, 11 FIFA World Cup stadiums, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, LAX and JFK airports, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Panama Canal Expansion, Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Its Webby Award-winning live camera network provides views of destinations including Times Square, Dublin’s Temple Bar, and London’s Abbey Road Crossing.
EarthCam’s live content is relied upon daily by more than 1,700 television broadcasters worldwide. In 2025 alone, EarthCam was featured in more than 30,000 news stories, generating over $1 billion in earned media value.
Learn more at EarthCam.net and experience EarthCam’s live camera network at EarthCam.com.
Attachments
- Official 25-Year World Trade Center Time-Lapse
- We Never Left | 25 years at the World Trade Center
CONTACT: Kevin McGarr EarthCam 201-488-1111 [email protected]
