Visitor Rules and Etiquette. More than three million people visit Arlington National Cemetery each year. Many come to pay respects at graveside services, or to visit a loved one’s final resting place. Please remember that Arlington is an active cemetery — a place of honor, grieving and reflection.
What is special about Arlington National Cemetery?
At Arlington National Cemetery, there are individual Civil War unknown burials as well as the remains of 2,111 Union and Confederate soldiers buried beneath the Tomb of the Civil War Unknowns. While exact numbers are unknown, estimates indicate that nearly half of the Civil War dead were never identified.
Is it worth visiting Arlington Cemetery?
Even without a personal connection, Arlington is definitely a must-see in D.C. and well worth the time. Rows upon rows of tens of thousands of identical white markers across 624 acres slaps you in the face about the reality of war.
Can anyone go to Arlington National Cemetery?
The cemetery conducts between 27 and 30 funerals every weekday. The site is open to the public 365 days a year with free admission for those who wish to tour the site and pay their respects.
What does the Arlington Cemetery represent?
Arlington National Cemetery represents the American people for past, present and future generations by laying to rest those few who have served our nation with dignity and honor, while immersing guests in the cemetery’s living history.
How many graves are left at Arlington?
400,000 veterans
Today, approximately 400,000 veterans and their eligible dependents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
What is the most visited grave in Arlington Cemetery?
More than three million people visit Arlington National Cemetery annually. While President Kennedy’s eternal flame and the Tomb of the Unknowns are the most visited destinations within the 624-acre site, here are 12 other Arlington Cemetery notable graves.
Is there a dress code at Arlington National Cemetery?
We suggest wearing attire that is appropriate for the season, but also respects the dignity of the occasion. Proper footwear that allows mobility on hard and soft surfaces is recommended. Arlington National Cemetery does not provide transportation to funerals. Attendees must provide their own transportation.
What qualifies you to be buried in Arlington?
Soldiers who die while on active duty, retired members of the Armed Forces, and certain Veterans and Family members are eligible for burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
How long do people spend at Arlington National Cemetery?
approximately two to three hours
With 400,000 graves on 624 acres, a visitor could easily spend all day at Arlington National Cemetery and not see everything. However, a standard visit — using the Arlington bus tour and hopping off at the designated stops — will take approximately two to three hours.
How much does it cost to be buried at Arlington?
There are no fees or costs for a burial or inurnment. However, all costs associated with preparation of the remains, casket or urn, and shipping of the remains to the Washington, DC area are at the expense of the estate unless the deceased is currently on active duty.
Can you take photos at Arlington cemetery?
Photography is permitted within the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Photographers who are members of news organizations need to make arrangements for a media escort by contacting the ANC Public Affairs Office at 703-614-0024.
Can you carry a gun in Arlington National Cemetery?
In accordance with locally established policy, military and law enforcement personnel may be required to obtain advance permission from the Executive Director of the Army National Military Cemeteries prior to possessing firearms on the property of an Army National Military Cemetery.
What does a rock on a military grave mean?
A penny means you visited. A nickel means you and the deceased veteran trained at boot camp together. A dime means you and the deceased veteran served together in some capacity. A quarter is very significant because it means that you were there when that veteran died.
Can a wife be buried in Arlington?
—The remains of the following individuals may be buried in Arlington National Cemetery: ”(1) The spouse, surviving spouse, minor child, and, at the discretion of the Superintendent, unmarried adult child of a person listed in subsection (a), but only if buried in the same gravesite as that person.
Who is the most famous person buried in Arlington National Cemetery?
Kennedy. After his assassination in 1963, President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest in Arlington. Each year millions of people visit the gravesite of the 35th President marked by an eternal flame.
How soon will Arlington cemetery be full?
Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is at another crossroads in its history. In about twenty-five years, ANC will run out of space as an active cemetery to honor our Nation’s veterans.
Will Arlington ever run out of space?
“Without changes to eligibility, Arlington National Cemetery will run out of space for new burials in the early 2040s or the mid-2060s with the construction of the Southern Expansion project, even for those service members who are killed in action or are recipients of the Medal of Honor.”
Are there actual bodies in Arlington cemetery?
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, contains the remains of more than 400,000 people from the United States and 11 other countries, buried there since the 1860s.
Who famous is buried in Arlington?
U.S. Presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery include John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft. The Kennedy gravesite is the final resting place not only of the former president, but also his wife Jackie Kennedy, his two brothers Robert and Edward Kennedy, as well as a memorial to his brother Joe Jr.
What is the oldest grave at Arlington?
The grave of William Christman
[3] The grave of William Christman, a Private from the 67th Pennsylvania is the oldest military grave at Arlington. Christman was laid to rest on May 13, 1864.