U.S. Air Force Memorial Temporary Closure

Beginning on or about Nov. 2, 2026, the U.S. Air Force Memorial and surrounding area will temporarily close to all visitors to support ongoing utilities and construction work associated with Arlington National Cemetery’s Southern Expansion project.

Published on: Monday, October 26, 2026 read more ...

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Flowers of Remembrance Day: Inaugurating a New Tradition at Arlington National Cemetery

On Saturday May 28, 2022, Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) will be inaugurating a new tradition: Flowers of Remembrance Day. During this ceremony, the public will be afforded the rare opportunity to walk on the plaza in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and place a flower there to memorialize our nation’s military dead. In conceptualizing the idea for this ceremony, ANC drew from several historical precedents and the events of the recent Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemoration to create a new, modern tradition for Memorial Day weekend. Since the cemetery’s early years, honoring the war dead with flowers has been a consistent ritual at ANC. This new iteration through Flowers of Remembrance Day forms yet another step in the evolution of this tradition. To help the public understand this ceremony’s intent and symbolism, this blog article explains the rich historical context surrounding this new event and situates it within the 158-year legacy of mili ...

Allison S. Finkelstein
ANC Senior Historian
Ph.D.