Arlington National Cemetery Extends Daily Hours for Gravesite Visitation Only

9/8/2020

Beginning Saturday, September 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ARLINGTON, VA –  Beginning Saturday, September 19, Arlington National Cemetery extends its daily hours to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additionally, the gravesite shuttle will resume starting Monday, September 21.

Access for family pass holders and the public remains for gravesite visitation only. Several places of interest remain closed, such as Memorial Amphitheater and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Face coverings are mandatory to wear while on cemetery grounds and social distancing is expected.

Karen Durham-Aguilera, Executive Director, Office of Army National Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery, states, “As conditions in the National Capital Region have continued to improve, our goal is to provide increased access for the public to visit a loved one’s gravesite. We hope this limited reopening will better accommodate our visitors.” 

The cemetery’s most sacred mission is to lay our nation’s veterans and their families to rest. The visitation protocol is as follows.


ANC VISITATION PROTOCOL

Access Within ANC

•  Arlington National Cemetery will be open for gravesite visitation ONLY from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning on September 19, 2020.

•  Gravesite shuttle service will resume on Monday, September 21.

•  The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Memorial Amphitheater remain closed to the public.

•  The exhibits in the Welcome Center continue to be closed.

 Arlington House, which is managed by the National Park Service, remains closed for a rehabilitation project.

Access Upon Arrival to ANC

 Visitors arriving by car may enter the cemetery on Memorial Avenue, park in the ANC parking garage and then proceed to the Welcome Center for screening.

 Pedestrians arriving from the Arlington Cemetery Metro station may go directly to the screening lanes outside of the Welcome Center.

 The ANC parking garage will be available to passenger cars only. No buses or tour groups will be allowed entry in order to maximize social distancing.

Visitor Screening

 There will be visitor screening lanes outside the Welcome Center for direct access to cemetery grounds.

 A visitor screening lane will be provided inside the Welcome Center for restroom access upon arrival only. The Welcome Center will have one-directional traffic flow for visitors to enter the cemetery. 

 ANC would like to kindly remind visitors that entering the cemetery through unofficial access points is considered trespassing, which is a federal offense.

Restroom Locations

 Portable restrooms are available near the parking garage and on Roosevelt Drive near Section 7A.

 The Welcome Center will have one-directional movement for restroom access after visitor screening. No gathering or waiting inside is permitted. Exhibits remain closed.

 Columbarium Court, in Section 79.

 Columbarium 6 on York Drive, across from Section 62.

 Restrooms inside the Administration Building on King Drive are for funeral attendees only.

Water

 Water bottle filling stations are available at many locations throughout the cemetery.

 Bottled water will be available for purchase at the temporary outdoor concession stand on the west side of the Welcome Center, just past visitor screening.

 Note: If you are visiting the graves of loved ones in Sections 11, 17, 18, 19 and 44, please be advised that these sections are accessible only by foot due to the closure of McPherson Road for ongoing construction.​

The following operational conditions remain the same:

 Family pass holder access remains 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to visit a loved one’s gravesite only.

 The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Memorial Amphitheater and the Welcome Center exhibits remain closed.

 Touring the cemetery in vehicles is not authorized. Family pass holders with vehicle access are reminded that visitation should be to a loved one’s gravesite only. 

 ANC will continue to cancel and/or reschedule unofficial and public wreath ceremonies two weeks in advance by informing groups, embassies, honor flights and tour guides.

 Tour buses and school groups are not permitted.

 Temporary passes will not be issued at this time.

 There are no changes to current funeral operations. Please see our Funerals page for funeral attendee information.

 ANC’s face covering policy, social distancing requirements and ID checks remain in effect. Face coverings are required at all times.


Charles “Ray” Alexander, Jr., Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, explains, “Arlington National Cemetery staff will be monitoring all aspects of the cemetery in order to prepare for a full opening in the near future. We are conducting internal assessments of the care and protection of our visitors. We will evaluate our standard operating procedures and efficiencies to ensure the outstanding visitor experience and high standards people expect when coming to the cemetery.”

Virtual visitation is available through the new ANC Education Program. Audiences of all ages may now discover lesson plans, walking tours and reading materials on topics that include The Tomb of the Unknown SoldierThe African American Experience at Arlington National CemeteryThe Spanish-American War and Understanding Arlington.

For more information, please visit @ArlingtonNatl on social media or contact our call center at 877-907-8585.

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