Arlington National Cemetery Guided Tours and Notable Landmark Information

More than 4 million visitors travel to Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects to the service men and women of the United States of America, as well as other notable Americans. While visiting this expansive memorial can be a somewhat daunting experience, a bit of planning can make for an unforgettable, emotional venture.

General Information about the Cemetery

• The cemetery marks the final resting place for service men and women from every major military conflict from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism.
• More than 300,000 people are currently buried at the cemetery, with an average of 28 funerals occurring each day.
• Notable figures buried at Arlington National Cemetery include presidents John. F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft, more than two dozen astronauts, Supreme Court Chief Justices Earl Warren and Warren Earl Burger, and many others.

DC, Embassy Row, and Arlington Cemetery Tour

• With this guided tour, you'll visit several notable landmarks and sites in the Washington, DC area, including Arlington National Cemetery.
• Your guide will direct you to some of the most visited areas within the cemetery, including the Tomb of the Unknowns, President John F. Kennedy's Gravesite, and others.
• Depending upon the time of year and time of day, you may also get to witness the Changing of the Guards Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
• You'll also stop to explore the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Iwo Jima Statue, and more.

Tomb of the Unknowns

• Most visitors who come to Arlington National Cemetery pause to pay tribute to the missing and unidentified soldiers lost during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The tomb's vantage point stands high over Arlington with a peaceful view of Washington, DC, and is guarded 24 hours a day throughout the year.
• The interment for the unknown soldier of World War I took place on November 11, 1921, and was presided over by President Warren G. Harding.
• The interment for the unknown soldiers of World War II & the Korean War occurred on May 30, 1958, with President Dwight D. Eisenhower presiding.
• On May 28, 1984, President Ronald Reagan presided over the interment of the unknown soldier of the Vietnam War. In 1998, the unknown soldier was identified as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. Lt. Blassie's gravesite was relocated to St. Louis, Missouri at his family's request, and the crypt of the Vietnam Unknown will remain empty.

Changing of the Guards Ceremony

• In what has become perhaps one of the most emotion-stirring, detailed ceremonies in military history, the Changing of the Guards Ceremony is a display that should not be missed during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. The Sentinels who serve as guards of the Tomb of the Unknowns go through some of the most rigorous training in the military, and must have exemplary records in order to be considered to be a member of the elite Company E of the 3rd U.S. Infantry.
• The ceremony is conducted every half hour until 7 p.m. from April 1 until September 30. From October 1 until March 31, the Changing of the Guards Ceremony occurs on the hour until 5 p.m. There is much symbolism involved in the ceremony, including the number of steps taken and the amount of time between steps by the Guards of Honor.
• Visitors are asked to remain silent and respectful throughout the ceremony.

President John F. Kennedy Gravesite

• When President John F. Kennedy's widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, was asked about funeral arrangements following the President's assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, her response was simple and eloquent: "He belongs to the people." At the head of the grave, an Eternal Flame, which was lit by the former First Lady, burns continuously. In addition, the site includes granite quarried from the area near the president's home on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Upon her death in 1994, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was interred at the site.

President William Howard Taft Gravesite

• Following his death in 1930, President William Taft become the first U.S. President to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Former First Lady Helen Herron Taft was interred at the site following her 1943 death. The site is marked by a marble monument that stands more than eight feet high. The Taft family funded the marker, which features ornamental details in its Greek stele form.