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The grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery are marked with wreaths to honor our Nation's heroes for their service and sacrifice. Let's visit and pay our respects.

❶ What we'll do:

  • After passing through security at the Welcome Center, we'll take a walk through the cemetery, observing the 1 pm changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns and visiting some of the more notable memorials and grave sites.
  • The walk is about 3.5 miles and should take about 2 hours at a slow to moderate pace, including the stop to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The path is paved but hilly, with steps in places.
  • Map with site notes and photos: https://tinyurl.com/35snmhhv

❷ How to get there:

  • Metro: The Arlington Cemetery Metro Station is on the Blue Line. From the exit, walk 0.1 miles WSW along Memorial Drive to the meetup point in front of the Visitor's Center. See https://www.wmata.com/service/status/ for the latest status and alerts.
  • Driving: Arlington National Cemetery is located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. at the end of Memorial Avenue, the parkway which extends from Memorial Bridge, near the Lincoln Memorial. Along this parkway is the rotary intersection with the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway. Arlington is accessible from the major roadways in the D.C. area like Interstate 95, the Capital Beltway (I-495), the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (I-295). See http://tinyurl.com/zba488c

❸ Weather: The forecast is mostly cloudy and a high of 52F, with light SE winds and a 10-12% chance of showers. Updates here: https://tinyurl.com/84wet7am

❹ What to bring: Water, comfy shoes, and the layered look. Sorry, only service animals are allowed in the cemetery. We will be passing through a security checkpoint, so please bring minimal to no bags to expedite the screening process. Depending on the security posture, all visitors 18 years of age and older, including individual members of tour groups, may be asked to provide a valid U.S. state or federal government-issued photo identification upon entering the cemetery. Weapons of any kind are prohibited. See http://tinyurl.com/zcgmw3w for a list of restrictions.

❺ Advisories:

  • As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers.
  • This is a cemetery, not a park, so our usual jocularity must be curtailed. The standards of conduct required of all visitors are listed here: http://tinyurl.com/jf6ljk3

❻ Cost: Parking is $3 per hour, up to a maximum of $12 per day. See http://tinyurl.com/hen3c5t

❼ Administrative stuff: There are public restrooms and drinking fountains at the Visitor Center and at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

❽ Notes:

Events in Arlington, VA
Hiking
Outdoors
Walking

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