In the past decade, scholars have identified numerous ways in which the events/aftermath of September 11, 2001, affected Muslims' lives and sense of identity in the United States. Leila Ahmed (2011) wrote that 9/11 "exploded the myth of return" for immigrant communities, forcing them to reimagine themselves as American Muslims rather than Muslims in America. Similarly, Jamillah Karim (2009) argued that "9/11 marked the watershed moment when claiming Muslims' place in the United States became imperative," especially as a means of fighting Islamophobia. Sherman Jackson (2005) also asserted the importance of bridging historical divides between immigrant Islam and Blackamerican Islam to foster networks of mutual support. As their scholarship shows, Muslim American communities faced many challenges in the wake of the attacks but were also afforded an opportunity to reimagine their social relationships and participation in public life. In response to this panel's call for papers concerning "the process of memorializing Muslim identities in North American public spaces," this paper will analyze the evolving attempts of one organization, Park51, to meet the demand for a new image of Islam in America. I will first examine Sharif El Gamal's initial plans to create an Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan to serve two purposes: uniting the diverse Muslim communities of New York and providing much-needed social services to the wider city. From there, I will trace how conservative pundits' condemnation of this proposal as a potential "victory mosque" at Ground Zero proved debilitating in getting the project off the ground. Finally, I will explore El Gamal’s recently revised plan to build a three-story museum at the site, one which will be dedicated to the faith of Islam and its arts/cultures. Utilizing ethnographic observations and interviews, my analysis will paint a complex portrait of this organization, its staff, and its mission. I will also engage theoretical works by Michael Jackson (on the politics of storytelling), Paul Williams (on museums), and Edward Linenthal (on American sacred space) to consider what is at stake for Park51 in creating this new museum. Some of the core questions for consideration include: Why did El Gamal shift his plans for Park51 from a community center to a museum, resituating the project around themes of memory and memorialization? How are local/national power dynamics or politics influencing the planning of the new site? And, in what ways might this museum reimagine the place of Islam in a post-9/11 America?