HOUSTON — A 16,900-pound steel beam from the World Trade Center was displayed at Space Center Houston on May 31, 2026, as part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s 'Steel Across America' tour.

The 'Steel Across America' tour is traveling more than 10,500 miles with over 35 stops in 21 states and Washington, D.C., culminating at Ground Zero on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The foundation also brought its 9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit, an 83-foot tractor-trailer that unfolds into a 1,100-square-foot educational exhibit honoring those killed on September 11, 2001, including 343 FDNY members.

Houston Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz spoke at the ceremony about the bravery and sacrifice of first responders on September 11 and the responsibility to remember. Stephen Siller Jr., son of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller who died in the South Tower, recounted his father’s final actions: “He heard it come over the radio that the towers had been struck by a plane, so he turned his car around, drove to his firehouse. So he grabbed his gear, left his car outside the tunnel, and ran to the World Trade Center, where he ultimately lost his life in the South Tower.”

“It’s important for us to be here in Houston today because of all the help that Texas has provided us and all the work we’ve done here,” Siller Jr. said. “There’s a special event that occurred here after September 11th. It was called Flags Across America, where they laid thousands of flags in honor of those who lost their lives.”

He also said, “The first responders who ran toward the Twin Towers that morning were cut from the same cloth as the heroes this place honors. Steel Across America is our way of making sure their sacrifice is never forgotten — not just in New York, but in every city, in every state, and in every American heart.” Siller Jr. presented Space Center Houston Chief Operating and Strategy Officer Keesha Bullock with a commemorative steel flag made from World Trade Center steel, depicting the New York City skyline with the Twin Towers.

No independent assessment was available for this report.