Directions to Cemetery

Cemetery Access Points

• We encourage volunteers to use all four entrances to access Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 14. The Memorial Ave. entrance, Ord & Weitzel gate, Service Complex gate and Old Post Chapel gate on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (DoD ID card holders only) will open to the public at 8 a.m.

• Despite ongoing construction, the Service Complex gate will be open.

• The main entrance to ANC, located at 1 Memorial Avenue, is located at the end of Memorial Avenue, just west of Arlington Memorial Bridge and Potomac Park. It is a 5-minute walk from the Arlington Cemetery Metro stop; walk west on Memorial Ave.

• The Ord & Weitzel gate is located on the cemetery's north side near the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima). It is a 15-minute walk from the Rosslyn Metro stop; walk south on N. Meade St., across Arlington Blvd., and through the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial Park.

• DoD ID card holders must present their DoD ID to go through the specially marked DoD screening lanes at all entrance points.

Parking Instructions

To register click the VOLUNTEER button.  

Arlington National Cemetery will not require registration of each volunteer for National Wreaths Across America Day in 2024. 

PARKING INSTRUCTIONS

Metro

• We encourage volunteers to use Metro transportation.

• To avoid congestion at the Arlington Cemetery Metro stop, we recommend exiting via the Rosslyn and Pentagon stations and walking to the cemetery. It is a short 15-minute walk from these locations to one of the cemetery entrances.  

• The best option is to take the Metro stop closest to the gate you plan to enter: Pentagon Metro for the Service Complex gate, Arlington Cemetery Metro for the main entrance, and Rosslyn Metro for the Ord & Weitzel gate. 

• If exiting at Rosslyn, you must enter the cemetery via the Ord & Weitzel gate by walking along the North Meade Street sidewalks. If exiting at the Pentagon, you must enter through the cemetery’s Service Complex gate entrance by walking along North Rotary Road. 

 • Volunteers traveling to the event by Metro are encouraged to purchase fare ahead of time. The best option, to avoid lines, is SmarTrip mobile pay.

• Please refer to WMATA for metro service information and route planning.

Driving/Parking

• To ensure a safe and secure environment for our visitors and employees, NO vehicular traffic will be permitted inside the cemetery for the duration of the event on Dec. 14.

• WAA will provide shuttle bus transportation from Pentagon North to drop-off locations east of the Service Complex gate.

• Limited public parking will be available at the Pentagon North and South Parking and Hayes Parking. Wreaths Across America volunteers and signage will be positioned in the parking lots, guiding visitors to walk to the nearest cemetery entrances. 

• For those parking in Pentagon South Parking, we recommend walking to the cemetery’s Service Complex entrance for screening and entry to the grounds. For those parking in Pentagon North Parking, we recommend walking to the cemetery’s main entrance on Memorial Ave. using the Route 27 pedestrian walkway. 

 ADA Accessibility

• Those with handicapped plates/placards will need to go to Pentagon North Parking, where their pass will be verified. They will then be directed to the ANC Welcome Center parking garage. The ANC Welcome Center parking garage will be available for handicapped personnel from 6-7 a.m. on a first-come-first-serve basis. After 7 a.m., drivers will be directed to other parking options. Please do not arrive earlier than 6 a.m.

• The ANC Welcome Center parking garage is reserved for handicapped parking from 6-7 a.m. or until full. After 7 a.m., no more vehicles will be allowed to park in the parking garage. 

• Only those with handicapped plates/placards are permitted to park in the ANC Welcome Center parking garage. All others will be directed to the Pentagon North and South parking lots and the Hayes parking lot. 

• If the ANC parking garage is full, ADA-accessible volunteers should park in the Pentagon North Parking lot. WAA shuttles will run from the Pentagon North Parking lot to the east of the Service Complex gate. 

 BUSES

There will be no bus parking available at ANC or Pentagon Parking. Volunteers arriving by bus will need to be dropped off at a predetermined access point and park off-site.

Ride Share

• For volunteers who plan to arrive via a ride-share (e.g., Uber, Lyft), the drop-off location is the Hayes lot in Pentagon City (880 Army Navy Dr.). From this point, volunteers must walk to the cemetery’s Service Complex gate entrance.   

Ceremony and Volunteer Information

To register click the VOLUNTEER button.  

Arlington National Cemetery will not require registration of each volunteer for National Wreaths Across America Day in 2024. 

To provide as many people as possible with the opportunity to place a wreath on National Wreaths Across America Day, each volunteer will receive one wreath to place on a veteran's grave. 

REMINDER: Sunday, Dec. 8th is Family Pass Holder Day at Arlington. This is limited to Family Pass Holders only. NO registration is required for Family Pass Holder Day.

Arlington National Cemetery is the only participating cemetery where a Family Pass Holder Day is held in conjunction with WAA.

Family Pass Holders are people who have an immediate next of kin laid to rest at Arlington. If you have questions about criteria or how to become a FPH, please contact Arlington National Cemetery directly.

Several people have asked if other National Cemeteries offer Family Passes or a Family Pass Holder Day. Arlington National Cemetery is not part of the National Cemetery Administration, it is run by the Department of the Army. It is the only WAA participating cemetery where this week before placement happens.

For more information, please visit https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/WAA/Family-Pass-Holder-Day.

Wreath Placement Schedule for 2024

8:00 AM – Wreath laying starts

10:00 AM – Wreath presentation at President Taft’s gravesite

10:30 AM – Wreath presentation at President Kennedy’s and family’s gravesite

10:45 AM – Wreath presentation at Robert Kennedy’s gravesite

11:00 AM – Wreath presentation at Ted Kennedy’s gravesite

11:30 AM – Wreath presentation at U.S.S. Maine mast (LEO group photo, too)

12:00 PM – Wreath presentation at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Wreath Placement Plan for Jewish Graves at Arlington National Cemetery 

If you are a family member who wishes that their loved one NOT receive a veteran’s wreath due to personal or religious beliefs, please get in touch with Wreaths Across America’s Customer Service Team at (877) 385-9504 to make this request. 

In accordance with and out of respect for Jewish custom, which is not to place living flowers, wreaths or laurels on grave sites, we ask that volunteers not place wreaths on the headstones of servicemembers with a Star of David. Instead, please take a moment to stop, say their name, and thank them for their service. Please note: If you come to a headstone with a Star of David and a wreath is already placed there, please leave it, as this may have been placed directly by family or friends.

DoD ID Cardholders

• Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall will be accessible to DoD ID card holders only; however, parking will be limited to the Tri-Services parking lot located across from the Spates Community Center. The sole entry point to the cemetery from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall will be the Old Post Chapel gate. 

• This year, all other gates to the cemetery (Memorial Ave., Ord & Weitzel, and Service Complex) will have designated DoD ID card holder lanes for security screening. 

Lodging Information

Discounted lodging information for volunteers can be found by contacting Vivian Cohencious at PlaceMakr at vcohencious@placemakr.com.