Arlington National Cemetery to Hold Annual Wreaths Out Event on Saturday, Jan. 20

1/16/2024

ARLINGTON, VA – Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) and Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery (SAHNC) in Washington, D.C. will hold their annual removal of wreaths, known as Wreaths Out, on Saturday, Jan. 20, beginning at 8 a.m.

Thousands of visitors are expected to help remove approximately 257,000 wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery and approximately 14,000 at SAHNC. The high volume of visitors at ANC may create traffic congestion and delays on nearby streets and at the cemetery’s entrances.

“We are grateful to our volunteers and community members who join us at Arlington National Cemetery for the annual tradition of removing wreaths. This is an honorable undertaking that we could not accomplish without your support,” said Army National Military Cemetery Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera.

Our top priority is the safety and security of our visitors and employees during this event. Visitors should anticipate large crowds and difficulty driving vehicles in the vicinity of Arlington National Cemetery due to road closures. Visitors are encouraged to use all four entrances to access the cemetery which include the Memorial Avenue Welcome Center, Ord and Weitzel pedestrian-only gate, the Service Complex pedestrian-only gate and, for DoD cardholders, the Old Post Chapel gate.

There will be no vehicular access permitted on cemetery grounds until 3 p.m. The Welcome Center Parking Garage will open to the public at 8 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Since we cannot predict when we will return to normal operations, there will be no tram service on Saturday.

We recommend visitors use public transportation or a ride share service for travel to and from the cemetery. The drop-off location for ride share services is adjacent to the Arlington Cemetery Metro stop on Memorial Avenue.

All visitors must pass through the cemetery’s security screening process before entering the cemetery. Prohibited items include: large bags or backpacks, firearms and weapons of any type, laser pointers, aerosol containers, soda cans, coolers, picnic baskets, tripods, lighters, screwdrivers (or similar tools), air horns, personal protection sprays and insulated beverage containers. Clear plastic water bottles are permitted.


Guidance for Visitors


For the latest information and event details, please visit www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/waa and follow us on social media @ArlingtonNatl for real-time updates on the event day. Visitors are also encouraged to download the ANC Explorer mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android.