We had a great afternoon at Arlington Cemetery, despite the rain clouds that were rolling through. My first suggestion is to stop by the Marine Corps Memorial on your way to Arlington. It’s very close in proximity and it’s a monument you don’t want to miss! The statue is a depiction of the soldiers raising the US flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima during World II, and it is likely a scene you’ve seen before in history books.

Once you get to Arlington Cemetary, be prepared to go through security. They required IDs so I had to make the long trek back to the car for my drivers license, so I suggest keeping it on you. Once you get through security, there are restrooms you can catch before starting your hilly walk. The admission into the cemetery is free, but if you are planning on taking the shuttle, it’s $8.75 per person, and you can hop on and off as you wish. We chose to simply walk and take it all in. Hitting all of the major stops, it took us 2-3 hours, making it an easy half day for your itenarary. We had great weather, but if heat is a concern, I’d plan on going in the morning since there is very little shade.

Our first stop was Kennedy’s Eternal Flame. Security presence was high so we weren’t allowed to get close, like I remembered doing as a kid. However, the security officer was so friendly and was offering to take people’s phones/cameras to get closer pictures.

We then made our way to watch the Changing of the Guard. It happens every half hour so even if you get there right when it’s ending, it’s not a long wait until the next one. This is a very somber atmosphere where respect and silence is expected. Out of anywhere I’ve traveled with littles, this definitely had me the most alert and anxious as a momma! I was definitely reminded of how serious this was when someone put their feet too close to the rope, the soldier aggressively yelled, demanding them to remove them. I’d suggest talking to your little ones about the soldier’s job not being to perform but to protect, and be prepared to remove your child if they can‘t follow the expectations. My toddler sat close to the front with her dad and her uncle, but I stood at the back, prepared to leave with the baby if he began to cry. Unfortunately, it started to sprinkle right as it began, causing them to do an abbreviated version, but we were thankful our kids were well behaved enough to sit through it.

The last stop was at the top of the hill to visit the Robert E. Lee House. Some interesting history to share is that before the Civil War, the land where the Arlington Cemetery sits was previously Robert E. Lee’s estate. When the war began and Robert E. Lee became a Confederate General, he had to flee his estate and the Union soldiers began buring the Confederate soldiers on his old homestead as an act of disrespect towards him. This began the Arlington Cemetery.

To be honest, the house wasn’t much to visit but the view from the top of the hill was worth it! We snapped some pictures and made our way back to the parking lot, walking through sprinkles of rain and carrying the stroller (with a sleeping baby inside) down many stairs!

Arlington Cemetery

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