Arlington and South of Washington D.C.
The city of Arlington seemingly stands separate and independent from the federal territory of Washington (District of Columbia) and is administratively part of the state of Virginia. Despite this, the entire eastern expanse of the city, adjacent to the southern bank of the Potomac River, is an integral part of the American capital both in terms of security and symbolically and institutionally. On the southern bank of the Potomac within Arlington’s territory, there are two important national federal symbols – the Pentagon and the Arlington National and Military Cemetery.
How long should you spend in Arlington?
For a trip to Arlington, it's worth dedicating half a day, including visits to the National Cemetery and a quick trip to the Pentagon.
8 Must-See and Do Things in Arlington and South of the Potomac
- Witness the Pentagon restoration from the 9/11 Memorial Park
- Look up at the skies at the Air Force Memorial
- Visit the grave of John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie (Onassis)
- The 50 bells of the Netherlands Carillon
- Be impressed by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Memorial Amphitheater
- The iconic Marine Corps War Memorial from the flag-raising at Iwo Jima
- The beauty of the USS Maine Memorial
- Say farewell to the Confederacy at Arlington House at the General Lee Memorial
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Map of Arlington
Everything to See and Do in Arlington
The Pentagon
The Pentagon building (the five-sided) is one of the most iconic symbols of Washington and the entire USA. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense, the overarching body for all the American security forces, and it is supposedly the nerve center of the world-dominating empire. The Pentagon is located in Arlington County, on the southern bank of the Potomac, within the territory of Virginia.
- The building was inaugurated at the height of World War II, in 1943
- It consists of a network of buildings connected at five corners, with a central courtyard
- There are five rings of buildings surrounding the central courtyard
- This is the largest office building in the world with approximately 350,000 square meters of internal space.
- Every day, nearly twenty-five thousand people work inside the building, most of whom are American security forces personnel in various capacities.
During the 9/11 attacks on September 11, 2001, an American Airlines plane struck the western side of the building. The plane was hijacked after taking off from Dulles Airport located slightly to the west. The impact killed 64 plane passengers and 125 Pentagon employees who were in the western part of the building. The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial now stands where the plane hit the building. The park was inaugurated and opened to the public in 2008. The building was restored in the year following the plane crash.
Air Force Memorial
The impressive monument honoring the fallen of the United States Air Force is located west of the Pentagon and south of Arlington National Cemetery. The monument was erected in 1992 and consists of three immense stainless steel columns, the shortest of which is 61 meters tall and the tallest rises to 82 meters.
The unique shape of the metal columns is meant to symbolize the change in direction of fighter jets as they ascend, mimicking the jets' vapor trails.
Arlington Memorial Bridge and Potomac Park
Potomac Park is situated on the northern part of Columbia Island, a small island adjacent to the southern bank of the river and administratively still part of the Federal District of Columbia. Access to the island is by crossing the charming Memorial Bridge that connects Arlington Cemetery with the Lincoln Memorial. The bridge and the island are the state entrance gates to Arlington, flanked on both sides by the highway bridges of I-66 to the north and I-395 to the south.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of the significant symbols of American statehood. It was built on the estate of Mary Anna Curtis Lee, after she left with her family along with her husband, the Southern General Robert E. Lee, following the outbreak of the Civil War. The national and military cemetery is used for the burial of U.S. war casualties as well as those who served the U.S. in other fields like astronauts. It is also the resting place for politicians and government officials who served in Washington, D.C.
Entrance to the cemetery is through the Arlington National Cemetery Welcome Center. The visitor center is located at the cemetery's entrance gate near the large parking lot.
The Military Women's Memorial
A striking crescent-shaped monument stands right at the entrance to the cemetery. The monument was inaugurated in 1997 to highlight the importance of women's service in the U.S. military.
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President John F. Kennedy Gravesite
Two U.S. presidents, John F. Kennedy and William Taft, are buried at Arlington Cemetery. Kennedy's grave has become a pilgrimage site for tourists and perhaps the most popular attraction in the area. It's a fenced square where the graves of Kennedy, his wife Jackie, and two of their children rest. The grave is located on a slope beneath Arlington House westward towards the Potomac River. Next to the grave burns an eternal flame lit by Jackie Onassis during the dedication of her husband's grave in 1967.
Netherlands Carillon
The carillon is a square tower with 50 bells. The tower was gifted to the USA by the Dutch in 1954, as gratitude for the liberation from the Nazis and the restoration of the country following the end of World War II. The tower is about forty meters tall and is made entirely of steel.
US Marine Corps War Memorial
This monument is one of the most recognized in the cemetery. It is a massive bronze sculpture of the photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal during the capture of Iwo Jima island from the Japanese in February 1945. The photo shows Marine soldiers raising the U.S. flag. The sculpture was unveiled in 1954 and has become one of the cemetery's iconic symbols.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The ceremonial plaza is located at the end of the steps leading to the neoclassical building followed by the Memorial Amphitheater. Ceremonies commemorating the unknown soldiers who have no grave are held on the plaza and steps, including the traditional changing of the guard.
Memorial Amphitheater
A giant circular structure completely surrounded by porticos (Italian Renaissance colonnade) inspired by St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. Inside the structure, there is a theater that seats 5,000 people. The structure was inaugurated in 1915 near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
USS Maine Mast Memorial
Behind the theater lies the impressive monument commemorating the sailors killed in the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana, Cuba, in 1898. The monument resembles the gun turret of the ship, with the mast reaching skyward.
Confederate Memorial
The monument, dedicated in 1914, commemorates the Confederate soldiers. The massive granite statue was placed to bridge the gaps of the Civil War. Currently, there is a decision to move the monument from Arlington Cemetery.
Arlington House
Arlington House is now known as the Robert E. Lee Memorial. This mansion was owned by the Custis family and was home to the southern General Robert E. Lee and his wife, who owned the estate. The cemetery itself stretches over the Custis family's land. When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, at the start of the Civil War, Lee and his wife left the house, and it was taken over by the Northern army and later confiscated. As a sort of revenge against General Lee, a cemetery for war casualties was established on the estate grounds.
