Former President George W. Bush made his first visit to the 9/11 memorial museum Sunday evening, the New York Post reported.
He arrived at 6 p.m. with his security detail and spent about an hour looking at the exhibits while the museum was still open to the public.
Some people recognized him, but were respectful of his privacy and did not try to approach him.
He did shake hands with some Port Authority police officers at the museum.
The source said he appeared especially moved by an exhibit called "The Final Column,’’ a beam from one tower that was removed from the debris and saved for exhibit at the end of the nine-month recovery effort.
"He views what happened on 9/11 as the defining moment of his presidency,’’ the source said, adding that it was obvious to everyone there that his visit was not a photo op.
"You could clearly see that this was something he had wanted to do for a long time,’’ the source said.