By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
LOWER MANHATTAN — The 9/11 Memorial Preview Site welcomed its one millionth visitor Tuesday morning, less than a year after it opened.
The visitor, Vibeke Arensbak, a tourist from Denmark in her 50s, beamed as she accepted a certificate marking the occasion, which will result in an inscribed cobblestone that will be embedded in the memorial plaza at the World Trade Center site in her honor.
Arensbak said she visited the Preview Site, which offers exhibits and souvenirs related to 9/11 and its aftermath, because she wanted to pay her respects to the victims of the attacks, a memorial spokesman said.
The Preview Site at 20 Vesey Street has drawn visitors from more than 63 countries since it opened last August, the memorial foundation said. Just over half of the visitors came from outside of the United States.
“We are so grateful to the overwhelming number of people who come to the Preview Site to pay tribute to our loved ones and help ensure they are not forgotten,” memorial board member Anthoula Katsimatides said in a statement.
The 9/11 memorial is scheduled to open on the 10-year anniversary of the attacks and is expected to draw 5 million to 7 million visitors per year.
