Rolling green hills across the Potomac from Washington DC hold more than 400,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery, rows of identical white headstones stretching in every direction as far as you can see. It’s an active military cemetery, not a tourist attraction in the usual sense, and that distinction shapes everything about how visitors move through the grounds: quietly, respectfully, and often more moved than they expected to be.
Related: Mesa Verde National Park: A Guide to America’s Ancient Cliff Dwellings
Top-Rated Arlington National Cemetery Tours & Tickets
Best Things to Do at Arlington National Cemetery
Witness the Changing of the Guard
At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, sentinels from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment perform a precise, silent changing ceremony around the clock, in every weather condition. Watching the ritual, down to the exact number of steps and the pause to inspect a weapon, is one of the most solemn things you’ll see in Washington.
Visit John F. Kennedy’s Gravesite
An eternal flame marks the burial site of the 35th president, with Jacqueline Kennedy and two of their children buried alongside him on a hillside overlooking the Lincoln Memorial and the Mall beyond.
Explore Arlington House
Sitting atop the hill above the cemetery, this restored mansion once belonged to Robert E. Lee’s family before the grounds became a burial site during the Civil War, and its exhibits explain that complicated history along with the enslaved community who lived and worked there.
Pay Respects at Section 60
This section holds many of the more recent burials from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it’s often where visitors feel the cemetery’s weight most directly, as family members can still be found visiting graves in person.
Take a Narrated Tram Tour
Given the cemetery’s size, a hop-on hop-off tram tour with recorded narration covers the major sites efficiently, stopping at the amphitheater, the Kennedy gravesite, and other key points across the 600-plus acre grounds.
Best Time to Visit
Spring brings cherry blossoms and mild weather, making the long walks between sections more comfortable, while Memorial Day draws large crowds and additional ceremonies that add meaning but also mean bigger lines. Weekday mornings tend to be the quietest overall.
How to Get There
The cemetery has its own Metro stop on the Blue Line, making it one of the easiest major DC-area sites to reach without a car. A visitor parking garage sits right at the entrance for anyone driving in.
Good to Know
Admission is free, but the grounds are enormous, so plan for at least two to three hours if you want to see the major sites without rushing. Dress respectfully, keep voices low throughout, and be aware that food, large bags, and certain other items are restricted at the entrance for security reasons.
Few places in the country convey the human cost of military service as directly as Arlington does, and a visit here tends to stay with people long after they’ve left the grounds.
Write Your Review
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!