United States

Visit Arlington Cemetery (Washington): schedules, Changing of the guard

Arlington Cemetery in Washington
Arlington Cemetery in Washington

In your trip to washington you will have the opportunity to visit the largest cemetery in the world, that of Arlington.

Of course, your visit Washington will focus on the big stage that is National Mall, where the main monuments and the Smithsonian Institute museums, among which we highlight the Museum of Art and Space.

But for visit Arlington Cemetery you must cross to the other side of the Potomac River, not far from National Mall.

El Arlington Cemetery It occupies an area of ​​more than 2.500 square meters, more than 300.000 Americans are buried there, and each year it has more than four million visitors.

As we have mentioned, it is the largest cemetery in the world and it is a common image in many North American films, which you will surely remember because of the very long rows of white tombstones.

Its construction began in 1802, and throughout history the most famous people in American history.

What to see when visiting Arlington Cemetery

Although Arlington was officially declared in 1864 as a military cemetery, in the cemetery you can find, for example, the graves of numerous American astronauts.

Arlington Cemetery in Washington
Arlington Cemetery in Washington

Or also those of numerous North American presidents, although I am sure that during your visit above all you will not fail to see the tomb of the President Kennedy, which attracts many visitors every day.

How to watch the Changing of the Guard in Arlington

But the most visited corner of the Arlington Cemetery It is the monument of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, before which the ceremony of the changing of the guard.

It is a truly ceremonious event attended by many visitors, as you can see by watching the video that accompanies this report.

The quoted changing of the guard It takes place, from April to September, every half hour, and the rest of the year, every hour.

Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery in Washington
Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery in Washington

Arlington Cemetery visit schedules

The Arlington Cemetery Visiting Hours They are from 8,00:19,00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. (until XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. from October to March), and admission is free.

Finally, if being in New York you don't feel like travel to Washington on your own, and you prefer to go in a organized group, you have the option to sign up for a excursion to Washington.

This single-day tour will take you to visit the capital of the United States with a guide in spanish, and as soon as you arrive the first stage will be the visit the Kennedy grave in Arlington Cemetery.

Here you have all the information on the tour to Washington from New York

About the Author

José Luis Sarralde

Journalist and traveler throughout his life, José Luis Sarralde is the founder of Guías Viajar, where since 2008 he has been capturing his travel experiences around the world, specializing in cultural and scenic destinations in Spain and Europe.

Comments

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  • The changing of the guard ceremony for the unknown soldier is shocking, it is a whirlwind of feelings that invades and only some time later does one manage to recover from it. My visit to Washington was last June, I was convinced that the United States is first in the world not because coincidence, but because they have worked to deserve it, here all human priorities come together, being there in a present body makes you feel part of that priority and part of its history.

  • On Cinemax I recently saw a documentary about Arlington Cemetery, Section 60, where there are all the soldiers who fell in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was very moved by the entire program. I spent it crying.

  • I am Spanish, when I witnessed the changing of the guard I was so moved that I had to hold back tears, I thought about my homeland, the little respect for our national signs, flag, anthem, about the Basques and Catalans denying Spain and the pride in being North American and in one's homeland without taking into account race, color, state... what envy!, with a Spain where the government has tried to remove those values ​​that as Spaniards we should be proud of, and the history that they make it to their measure, with lies and fallacies
    Poor Spain!

  • I suppose that when you refer to the extension you mean 2.500 square meters... because 2.500 square kilometers is four times Barcelona.

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