Arlington National Cemetery

About the tour

• Aboard the continuous 45-60 minute loop, you’ll have the opportunity to disembark and explore.
• The tour makes 7 stops on weekdays and 10 on weekends.
• Relax on our comfortable tour vehicles as you journey through history.
• Learn about the cemetery’s history, the heroes who rest there, and other stories from your knowledgeable guide.
• You’ll be transported to notable graves and memorials.

History of Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery is located on a parcel of land that once belonged to George Washington’s step-grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. In 1857, Custis left the property to his daughter Mary Anna Randolph Custis and it became the family home for her and her husband, Robert E. Lee.

After the Lee family vacated the property at the onset of the Civil War in 1861, the grounds were used for various purposes, including serving as a camp and headquarters for Federal Troops during the Civil War and later providing a safe haven for former slaves seeking freedom. Arlington National Cemetery held its first military burial on May 13, 1864.

Today, the property is the final resting place for more than 400,000 active duty service members, veterans and their families. It is a place to remember the men and women who served their nations and where all who visit can gain a sense of their sacrifice.

Must See Exhibits

The museum’s collection is rotated through several permanent gallery spaces. These include exhibitions dedicated to Early America as well as the 19th and 20th centuries. Key pieces in this area of the collection include works by Gilbert Stuart and John Singleton Copley, such as Copley’s 1765 portrait of Mrs. George Watson. The Indian Gallery contains George Catlin’s original paintings from the 1830s. Frederic Remington is another featured Westward Expansion artist. Impressionist and Gilded Age artists include Childe Hassam and Mary Cassatt. Other exhibits feature Contemporary, African-American and Latino artwork. Visitors can experience paintings that chronicle the Harlem Renaissance, the Jazz Age and the Civil Rights Movement as well as the influence that Hispanic culture has had on America. Special galleries are also specifically set aside for photographs, works on paper, sculptures and self-taught artists.

The Luce Foundation Center for American Art is a storage and restoration facility that is open to the public. Visitors are free to ask curators and restoration experts questions to gain insight into the museum’s role in art preservation. The Renwick Gallery features numerous permanent, rotating and temporary exhibits highlighting a variety of modern American crafts and decorative arts.

Know Before You Go

The Old Patent Office Building is situated in the Penn Quarter neighborhood at the intersection of Eighth and F Streets Northwest. In addition to self-guided tours, you can take advantage of one of the several docent-led tours that are available each day. The Luce Foundation Center is the starting point for a kid-friendly scavenger hunt. The museum is open daily from 11:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. except Christmas Day. There is limited metered street parking and several garages nearby. The museum is across the street from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station that serves the Red, Yellow and Green lines. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in the Kogod Courtyard.

The Renwick Gallery is located nine blocks to the west near the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. It is open every day except for Christmas from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Guided tours are offered at noon Monday through Saturday. Parking near the White House is limited. The nearest Metro stations are Farragut West on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines and Farragut North serving the Red line. Strollers are not permitted inside the Gallery.

Visitor Information

Weekday Stops

• Welcome Center
• President John F. Kennedy Gravesite
• U.S. Coast Guard Memorial
• Pershing Gravesite
• Memorial Amphitheater • Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
• 
Arlington House
• Ord & Weitzel (Iwo Jima Memorial Outside Gate)

Additional Stops on Weekends:

• Sections 55 and 59
• Columbarium and Niche Wall
• Pentagon Group Burial Marker – 9/11 Memorial

Tour schedule

Tours depart from the Welcome Center
Tour Length: 45-60 minutes

Arlington National Cemetery is open:
October – March: 8am – 5pm
April – September: 8am – 7pm

Tour Times:
October – March: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm. Last tour departs at 4:00 pm*.
April – September: 8:30 am – 6:00 pm. Last tour departs at 6:00 pm.

*October – March: The last red loop Old Town Trolley will leave stop #11 (Lincoln Memorial) at 4:30pm to pick-up guests from ANC at 4:45pm and return them to stop #11.

Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
October – March: Every hour on the hour
April – September: Every half hour

Additional schedule information

Veterans Day, November 11: We will be providing transportation for special services at the Cemetery.
Tours will not start until approximately 1 pm.

The Arlington National Cemetery Tour is included with your Old Town Trolley Day Tour.  For more information, call 202-796-2606.

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