2016 Veterans Day National Ceremony Visitor Information
Where: Arlington National Cemetery
When: Friday, November 11, 2016, at 11 a.m.
A patriotic ceremony honoring America’s military members and Veterans is scheduled for Friday, November 11, 2016, at 11 a.m., in Arlington National Cemetery. A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by a ceremony inside the Memorial Amphitheater, adjacent to the Tomb. The event will commence with a prelude concert by The United States Navy Band at 10:30 a.m., inside the amphitheater.
Attendees are strongly encouraged to arrive early. Every effort is made to perform security screenings quickly and efficiently, but the lines to pass through the screening stations may become lengthy. The last shuttle from the Welcome Center and Fort Myer departs at 10:15 a.m. or once capacity is reached.
The event is hosted by Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert McDonald; Mr. Robert Swan, The Polish Legion of American Veterans, of the United States of America, National Commander; Mr. Patrick K. Hallinan, Executive Director, Army National Military Cemeteries; and Major General Bradley Becker, Commander of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington and the Joint Force Headquarters–National Capital Region.
The ceremony is free and open to the public. For those interested in observing the wreath ceremony, space is limited to standing room only. Inside the Amphitheater, seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are not required to attend and we anticipate the event to conclude at Noon.
At 8 a.m., the cemetery gates open and the free shuttle service will begin transporting guests from the Arlington National Cemetery Visitor Center to the Tomb/Amphitheater. Walking from the visitor center to the Amphitheater is prohibited. Free shuttle service will end at 2 p.m. Parking in the cemetery’s visitor parking is free for the entire day. The Visitor Center is approximately one-quarter mile from the Arlington National Cemetery Metro station on the Blue Line (between the Pentagon and Rosslyn stations).
Fort Myer will also operate a free shuttle for DoD Identification card holders from the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel parking lot from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walking from Fort Myer to the Memorial Amphitheater is prohibited.
