Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, serves as a cemetery and a memorial to America's war heroes. More than four million people visit Arlington each year, attending graveside services and special ceremonies to pay tribute to veterans and historical figures.
See photos of Arlington National Cemetery
See photos of Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery Address:
Across the Potomac River from Washington at the west end of the Memorial Bridge, Arlington, Virginia. (877) 907-8585. See a Map
The best way to get to the cemetery is to take Metro to the Arlington National Cemetery Station, take the express bus from the National Mall, or walk in across the Memorial Bridge. The cemetery is also a stop on most Washington, DC sightseeing tours.
The best way to get to the cemetery is to take Metro to the Arlington National Cemetery Station, take the express bus from the National Mall, or walk in across the Memorial Bridge. The cemetery is also a stop on most Washington, DC sightseeing tours.
Arlington National Cemetery Hours:
Open daily including December 25. April through September hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. October through March hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tours of Arlington National Cemetery:
Start your visit at the Cemetery Visitors Center where you will find maps, guidebooks, exhibits, a bookstore and restrooms. You may walk the grounds on your own or take the interpretative shuttles that run from the visitor center to Arlington House, located atop the Cemetery’s highest point, and back. Cost: $8.75 per person, $4.50 for ages 3-11. Allow several hours to explore the grounds and be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. Driving into the cemetery is only allowed for handicapped visitors and those attending a burial or visiting a private gravesite. A special permit is required.
About Arlington National Cemetery:
More than 400,000 American servicemen as well as many famous Americans are buried at the 624 acre national cemetery. Among the notable Americans buried here are Presidents William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Robert Kennedy. More than four million people visit the cemetery each year and approximately 27-30 graveside funerals are held here each day.
Special memorial services are held in the Arlington National Amphitheater on Easter, Memorial Day and Veterans Day and are sponsored by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington. Many military organizations conduct other annual memorial services throughout the year.
The main entrance, also known as the Memorial Gate, was recently modified to house the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. The Visitors Center is located here and is a resource for maps and guidebooks.
The Tomb of the Unknowns, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stands on a hill overlooking Washington, DC. The tomb was dedicated in 1921 and contains the remains of soldiers from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day and each hour (each half-hour in summer) there is a changing of the guard ceremony with a special march and salute.
Arlington House, the former home of Robert E. Lee and his family is located atop a hill, providing one of the best views of Washington, DC. George Washington Parke Custis, Lee’s father-in-law, originally built the house as his own home as well as a memorial to George Washington, his step-grandfather. Arlington House is now preserved as a memorial to Robert E. Lee, who helped heal the nation following the Civil War.
Arlington House is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arlington House grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. between April and September and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between October and March.
Official Website
www.arlingtoncemetery.mil
Special memorial services are held in the Arlington National Amphitheater on Easter, Memorial Day and Veterans Day and are sponsored by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington. Many military organizations conduct other annual memorial services throughout the year.
The main entrance, also known as the Memorial Gate, was recently modified to house the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. The Visitors Center is located here and is a resource for maps and guidebooks.
The Tomb of the Unknowns, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stands on a hill overlooking Washington, DC. The tomb was dedicated in 1921 and contains the remains of soldiers from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day and each hour (each half-hour in summer) there is a changing of the guard ceremony with a special march and salute.
Arlington House, the former home of Robert E. Lee and his family is located atop a hill, providing one of the best views of Washington, DC. George Washington Parke Custis, Lee’s father-in-law, originally built the house as his own home as well as a memorial to George Washington, his step-grandfather. Arlington House is now preserved as a memorial to Robert E. Lee, who helped heal the nation following the Civil War.
Arlington House is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arlington House grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. between April and September and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between October and March.
Recent Improvements
In 2013, Arlington National Cemetery unveiled the first major upgrade to the historical displays in over 20 years. The new Welcome Center presents information on Arlington's annual rituals and military tradition that honor our veterans, help visitors remember the key historical events and encourage guests to explore the 624 acres of this national shrine. The upgrade involves six new panel displays that include a cemetery overview, the history of the Arlington House estate, a Freedman's Village history, the evolution of becoming the national cemetery depicted in a vertical glass panel, a retrospect of the JFK procession and a ritual panel outlining how the military performs funerals. The cornerstone of the new exhibit, is a life-size a statue of a bugler. Staff Sgt. Jesse Tubb, who is a bugler in U.S. Army Band, "Pershing's Own," served as the model for the statue.Official Website
www.arlingtoncemetery.mil
