Arlington National Cemetery is 639 acres of white marble across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., and it holds more than 400,000 graves of service members, veterans, and their families. It is the most sacred ground in the country. Here is how it started, who rests there, what you will see when you visit, and how to honor the place the way it was meant to be honored.
Arlington at a Glance
★ The Quick Facts
| Established | June 15, 1864 |
| Location | Arlington, Virginia (across the Potomac from D.C.) |
| Size | 639 acres |
| Total burials | More than 400,000 |
| Funerals per week | Roughly 25 to 30 each weekday |
| Open | 365 days a year, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (7 p.m. April through September) |
| Run by | The U.S. Army (Department of Defense) |
Arlington is one of two national cemeteries the Army administers directly. Most of the other 150-plus national cemeteries fall under the Department of Veterans Affairs. That distinction matters because Arlington has stricter eligibility, tighter ceremonial standards, and a daily rhythm of military funerals that does not stop. On any given weekday you will see funeral processions, taps echoing through the hills, rifle volleys, and folded flags presented to families. The flag-draped casket you see in the news is here, in person, again and again.
How Arlington Became a National Cemetery
The story starts with a house. Arlington House, the Greek Revival mansion that still sits on the high ground overlooking the cemetery, was built between 1802 and 1818 by George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted grandson of George Washington. Custis raised his daughter Mary there. Mary married a young Army engineer named Robert E. Lee in 1831, and the property became their home for the next thirty years.
When Virginia seceded in 1861, Lee resigned from the U.S. Army and went south. His wife fled the estate. Federal troops moved in within weeks, and the United States seized the property for unpaid taxes. By 1864 the casualty count from the Civil War had outgrown every cemetery near the capital. Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs proposed a fix that was equal parts practical and pointed: bury the Union dead in Lee's front yard.
The first burial at Arlington was Private William Christman, a 21-year-old farmer from Pennsylvania, on May 13, 1864. By the end of the war the property held more than 16,000 graves. The Lee family sued and the Supreme Court ruled in their favor in 1882. Robert E. Lee's son sold the land back to the federal government for $150,000 the following year, and Arlington National Cemetery has belonged to the country ever since.
Almost everything you see today was designed to make a point. The white marble headstones are identical on purpose. The general buried beside the private. The medic beside the rifleman. The Medal of Honor recipient with the same stone as the truck driver. The cemetery was built on the idea that no one outranks the dead.
Who Is Buried at Arlington
Eligibility for in-ground burial at Arlington is the strictest of any cemetery in the country. The rules tightened in 2019 because the cemetery is running out of room. The current standards keep Arlington open for active-duty deaths and the most-honored veterans well into the next century, but they leave a lot of veterans out. Inurnment in the columbarium (above-ground urn placement) has wider eligibility.
The cemetery has buried more than 400,000 people. Two presidents rest there: William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy. So do Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Robert and Edward Kennedy. Audie Murphy, the most-decorated American soldier of World War II, was laid to rest in Section 46 in 1971 with a plain government stone the same size as everyone else's. Joe Louis, the heavyweight champion of the world and an Army sergeant, was buried in 1981 by a special order from President Reagan. Thurgood Marshall, John Glenn, Medgar Evers, Pierre L'Enfant (the man who designed Washington, D.C.), and roughly 3,800 freed slaves from the Civil War era all rest at Arlington.
|
Wear the Tribute Because of the Brave Tee A simple way to carry the message every day. Made for the people who never forget what the white headstones cost. Shop Now → |
|
400,000+ Service members, veterans, and family members buried at Arlington National Cemetery since 1864. |
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb sits on a rise above the Memorial Amphitheater. A single white sarcophagus marks the grave of an American soldier who fell in France in World War I. Three flat marble slabs in front of it mark the World War II Unknown, the Korean War Unknown, and the empty Vietnam War crypt. The Vietnam Unknown was disinterred in 1998, identified through DNA as Air Force Lieutenant Michael Blassie, and reburied in his hometown of St. Louis. The crypt at Arlington was sealed and re-engraved with the words "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen."
The Tomb has been guarded continuously since 1937. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, in every weather, through hurricanes and snowstorms and the September 11 attacks. The Sentinels of the Tomb are volunteers from the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment, called The Old Guard, the Army's oldest active-duty unit. The badge they earn after months of training is one of the rarest awards in the U.S. military. We wrote a deeper piece on the Tomb and the Old Guard if you want the full story.
The Changing of the Guard
If you only have time to see one thing at Arlington, see the Changing of the Guard. It happens at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on a fixed schedule: every hour on the hour from October through March, and every half hour from April through September. The ceremony lasts about ten minutes.
| 1 | The relief commander steps forward. A non-commissioned officer salutes the Tomb, then turns to address the visitors and asks for silence and standing during the ceremony. |
| 2 | The relief commander inspects the new Sentinel. A precise white-glove inspection of the M14 rifle. Every motion is choreographed and silent. |
| 3 | The new Sentinel takes the post. 21 steps across the black mat in front of the Tomb. 21-second pause facing the Tomb. Turn. 21-second pause facing the other way. The number 21 honors the 21-gun salute, the highest military honor. |
| 4 | The old Sentinel marches off. Same precise count. Off the mat, into the quarters below. The watch continues without a single second's gap. |
If you want to read more about why 21 is the number, we have a separate piece on the history of the 21-gun salute. Stand silent during the ceremony. Do not clap. The tradition is that you do not applaud at the Tomb, ever, no matter how moved you feel. A quiet nod or a hand over the heart is the right response.
Section 60 and the Recent Wars
If you walk southeast from the visitor center past the Memorial Amphitheater, you will reach Section 60. This is where most of the service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. The graves are still fresh. You will see fathers and mothers sitting on the grass next to their kids. You will see widows tracing letters. You will see classmates who came back when their friend did not. Section 60 is one of the most quietly devastating places in the country.
The small American flag in front of every headstone is a Memorial Day tradition. The Old Guard performs Flags-In every year on the Thursday before Memorial Day. They place a single small flag exactly one boot length from the front of every gravestone in the cemetery. More than 260,000 flags. Two and a half hours. Same way, every year, since 1948. The flags stay until Tuesday after Memorial Day weekend.
The Eternal Flame and Other Notable Graves
The Kennedy gravesite is on a slope below Arlington House, with a clear view of the Lincoln Memorial across the river. Jackie Kennedy chose the location herself the night the President's body was returned to the White House in November 1963. The eternal flame, lit at the burial three days later, was her idea. It has been burning ever since. Robert F. Kennedy is buried about 50 feet away under a simple white cross. Edward Kennedy is alongside them.
|
Fly One at Home 3' x 5' American Flag Heavy-duty embroidered stars and sewn stripes. The same size that drapes a military casket. Made for years of weather, not weeks. Shop Now → |
A short walk from the Kennedys takes you past several markers worth knowing. The Memorial Amphitheater hosts the national observances on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Easter Sunday morning. The USS Maine Memorial holds the mast of the battleship whose sinking helped trigger the Spanish-American War. Audie Murphy is in Section 46, and his is one of the most-visited graves in the cemetery despite being a plain government issue. Joe Louis is in Section 7A. Pierre L'Enfant is buried up by Arlington House, looking out over the city he designed.
How to Visit Arlington the Right Way
You can spend an hour at Arlington or you can spend a day. Either way it helps to plan. The cemetery is bigger than people expect, and walking the whole thing is a serious haul.
| 1 | Take Metro or rideshare. The Arlington Cemetery station on the Blue Line drops you right at the welcome center. Driving is allowed only for funeral attendees and visitors with a pass to a specific gravesite. |
| 2 | Start at the Welcome Center. Free maps. Bag check. Restrooms. The free ANC Explorer app has a search tool that will pinpoint a specific grave for you and give you walking directions. Use it. |
| 3 | Time the Changing of the Guard. Get to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at least 15 minutes before the next ceremony. In summer it is every 30 minutes; in winter it is every hour. Check the schedule before you walk up. |
| 4 | Walk the loop in this order. Welcome Center, Kennedy gravesite, Arlington House, Tomb of the Unknown, Memorial Amphitheater, Section 60. That order minimizes backtracking and ends in the quietest part of the cemetery. |
| 5 | Use the trolley if walking is hard. The Arlington National Cemetery Tour bus is a paid hop-on hop-off service that hits the major stops. Family members of someone buried at Arlington can request a Family Pass for free vehicle access. |
|
Honor Their Service To All Who Serve Tee For the people who never came home and the people who waited for them. A daily reminder that the bill was paid by someone else. Shop Now → |
Mistakes to Avoid at Arlington
Arlington is not a park, a museum, or a tourist attraction. It is a working military cemetery and a place of burial for hundreds of thousands of Americans. Most visitors get this. A few do not. Here are the mistakes the staff and the Sentinels see most often.
MISTAKE 01
Talking during the Changing of the Guard.
The Sentinels can and do break their silence to call out visitors who keep talking, laugh, or wave at the camera during the ceremony. The expected behavior is silent attention with hats off.
MISTAKE 02
Treating Section 60 like a photo op.
Section 60 is where families of recent fallen go to grieve. If you visit, walk softly, do not photograph people, and do not pose for selfies. If a family is at a stone, give them space.
MISTAKE 03
Stepping on graves.
Walk between rows, not over them. Every footprint is on top of someone. The cemetery is laid out in rows for a reason; follow the rows.
MISTAKE 04
Wearing flip-flops or beachwear.
There is no formal dress code, but Arlington is a place of mourning. Dress like you would for a funeral. No swimsuits, no offensive shirts, no political slogans. Hats off at the Tomb.
MISTAKE 05
Bringing a picnic or blasting music.
Food, alcohol, large speakers, and recreational activities are all banned. The cemetery is open for visiting graves, attending services, and quiet reflection. Save the picnic for the National Mall.
If you remember nothing else, remember that someone is grieving on these grounds every minute of every day. Behave like it. The cemetery staff is patient, and most of the visitors do the right thing without being told. The unspoken standard is high, and meeting it is how you say thank you.
Common Questions About Arlington National Cemetery
How much does it cost to visit Arlington National Cemetery?
Admission is free. The optional Arlington National Cemetery Tour bus costs around $20 for adults. Parking in the on-site garage is paid by the hour, so most visitors take Metro instead.
How long do I need to spend at Arlington?
Plan on at least two hours for the major stops: the Kennedy gravesite, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington House, and the Memorial Amphitheater. A full visit including Section 60 and a slow walk through the older sections takes most of a day.
Can anyone visit a grave at Arlington?
Yes. The cemetery is open to the public 365 days a year. The free ANC Explorer app and the kiosks at the Welcome Center can find any specific grave by name. Family members of those buried can request a Family Pass for vehicle access.
What is the proper etiquette at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
Stand silently. Remove your hat. Do not talk, eat, or use a phone during the Changing of the Guard. Do not applaud at any point. The expected response to the ceremony is silence and respect.
Why does the Sentinel walk 21 steps?
The number 21 is a reference to the 21-gun salute, the highest military honor in the United States. The Sentinel takes 21 steps, pauses 21 seconds, turns, pauses 21 seconds, and walks 21 steps back. Every motion is exact.
Is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier really guarded 24/7?
Yes. The Sentinels of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment have guarded the Tomb continuously since July 2, 1937. Through hurricanes, blizzards, and the September 11 attacks, the watch has never stopped.
When is the best time to visit Arlington?
Weekday mornings are quietest. Memorial Day weekend is the most powerful time to visit because every grave has a small American flag in front of it from the Old Guard's Flags-In tradition. Avoid major federal holidays for crowd reasons unless you are there for the observance itself.
Who can be buried at Arlington National Cemetery?
In-ground burial is reserved for active-duty deaths, Medal of Honor recipients, retired military with 20-plus years of service and a combat decoration, former POWs under specific service criteria, presidents, and the spouses and dependents of those eligible. Above-ground inurnment in the columbarium is available to a wider group of veterans.
Keep Reading
Arlington connects every other piece of the Memorial Day story. If you want to go deeper, start with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Old Guard, then read the history of Taps and the 13 folds of the burial flag. The most-watched ceremony at Arlington is the rifle volley, which we covered in our piece on the 21-gun salute. And if you are visiting around the holiday, our Memorial Day 2026 guide has the full schedule of national observances at the Memorial Amphitheater.
Related: read our deep dive on the battlefield cross and what each piece of gear means. It is one of the most powerful Memorial Day memorials, and most people have never had it explained to them.
Related reading: The Missing Man Table: Meaning, History, and How to Set One Up covers the empty place setting that honors the missing comrade at every military gathering.
If you have a WWII, Korean War, or Vietnam vet in your life who has not yet seen the memorials in DC, learn about Honor Flight, the nonprofit that flies veterans to Washington for free, and consider helping them make the trip while there is still time.
|
Honor the Fallen at Home Fly the same flag that drapes the caskets at Arlington. Wear the message everywhere else. |
Related reading: Why we place coins on military graves and what each coin means.
Planning your visit? Read our full guide on how to visit a national cemetery on Memorial Day for what to bring, when to arrive, and the quiet rules nobody hands you at the gate.
