Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery access, Metro hours and parking information

12/11/2013

Wreaths Across America is this Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery

Plan to get to the cemetery early and use Metro, if possible!

Every year, volunteer turnout (as large as 20,000) creates traffic congestion and delays on nearby streets and at the Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) entrance.  These delays are long enough that some volunteers are unable to place a wreath.  To increase access for Wreaths Across America volunteers, ANC will open more gates for those using Metro, approved parking lots, or walking. 

For 2013, there are two primary wreath coverage areas.  The main effort should blanket the eastern side of the cemetery (from north to south).  The other effort will focus on the west side, abutting Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.  (Actual coverage always depends on the final wreath count, available only a couple days before the event.)

Wreaths Across America  Schedule for Saturday December 14, 2013

6:00 AM: ANC Visitors Parking garage opens (ANC Family Pass and Disabled passes only)
7:00 AM: Metro rail opens (system-wide) 
8:00 AM: ANC Gates open; Note: No private vehicle access to cemetery from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, including Family Pass holders 
~8:30 AM:  WAA Truck Convoy arrives ANC Main Gate (time approximate) 
9:30 AM: WAA Opening Ceremony at McClellan Gate 
10:00 AM: Wreath laying begins across cemetery 
11:00 AM: Wreath laying ceremony at President Kennedy’s grave 
11:30 AM: Wreath laying ceremony at USS Maine Mast 
12:00 PM: Wreath laying ceremony at Tomb of Unknown Soldier 

Arlington National Cemetery Gates Open for Volunteer Access
- Ord-Weitzel (north side) south of the Netherlands Carillon and the Iwo Jima Memorial
- Main (east side) on Memorial Drive by the Women’s Memorial and Visitors Center entrance
- Visitors Center (east side) accessible on west side of Visitor’s Center
- Service Complex (south side) off Columbia Pike, near the Air Force and Pentagon Memorials
- West (west side, AKA “Selfridge Gate”), across from the Spates Community Club
- Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (NW side, AKA “Old Post Chapel Gate”) near Old Post Chapel

Metro Information
Wreaths Across America highly encourages Metro use due to limited parking availability and extremely high traffic volume. 

There are four Metro stops within a mile of an open ANC gate:
- Rosslyn (.7 mi north – Orange & Blue lines), via the Ord-Weitzel gate (passes Iwo Jima Memorial)
- Arlington Cemetery (east – Blue line), ANC’s principal Metro stop
- Pentagon (.7 mi south – Yellow & Blue lines), via the south Service Complex gate
- Pentagon City (.9 mi south – Yellow  & Blue lines), via the south Service Complex gate

Parking
- Traffic congestion around the cemetery, especially on Memorial Drive, begins as early as 6 AM
- To maximize pedestrian safety during the height of wreath laying activity, ANC has enacted temporary access and parking restrictions
- ANC Visitors Parking will open at 6 AM (instead of the normal 8 AM) but with restricted access (Note: ANC gates open at 8 AM)
- From 6 AM to 1 PM, only authorized vehicles will have access to the Cemetery – vehicles with Disabled Passes or Family Passes may not enter the cemetery
- From 6 AM to 1 PM, vehicles with Disabled Passes, Family Passes, and tour busses may park in the Visitors Parking for free /no charge
- ANC personnel will divert all unauthorized traffic away from the cemetery entrance

- The National Park Service and U.S. Park Police have similar parking regulations and restrictions
- Avoid memorial drive and the main entrance – no loading/unloading allowed
- No parking allowed on National Park Service land, including the areas in and around the Iwo Jima Memorial, Netherlands Carillon, and George Washington Parkway. Note: The National Park Service designates all of these areas as memorial grounds and therefore no parking zones –authorities will ticket.

There are a few parking lots open to volunteers:
- ~2,100 spaces in the Pentagon’s North Parking Lot, in lanes 52-63, a one mile walk to either the Main Cemetery Gates or the South Service Complex Gate entrances
- ~840 spaces in the Pentagon’s Hayes, Fern, and Eads Parking lots, south of I-395
- ~250 spaces along S. Southgate Road, between the former Navy Annex/AF Memorial and ANC

For the latest information, also check the following websites:
https://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonWreaths
https://twitter.com/WreathsAcross
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Events/Calendar.aspx