Suggested Sites for Veterans Visiting Washington, D.C.
There are a number of services we can provide to North Carolina veterans to help make your visit to Washington DC meaningful and memorable. Many sites here have been built to recognize your service. Please take a look at this list of ways we can help and additional information that may be helpful for your planning purposes. The places listed below are free and open to the public. If you are organizing a large group to see these sites, please contact a member of Senator Burr’s staff at tour_coordinator@burr.senate.gov and we will work to help accommodate your needs.
Please click here for a full list of memorials, museums and other things to do during your trip to Washington DC. If you are interested in a tour of the White House, the United States Capitol, Supreme Court National Archives, Bureau of Engraving, Library of Congress, National Cathedral, Kennedy Center, or Department of State, please click visit this page for instructions on how to submit your request.
Monuments and Memorials
National World War II Memorial
Many World War II veterans have visited this memorial through the Honor Flight Network. The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created to honor America's WWII veterans for all of their sacrifices by providing them with trip to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at the WWII Memorial. Senator Burr and members of his staff greet these veterans upon their arrival and help arrange other visits in the area. For more information about the Honor Flight Network, please visit their website here. For those interested in visiting the memorial independently, below is some additional information:
Description: The National WWII Memorial commemorates the sacrifice of those who supported the war effort and celebrates the victory of the WWII generation. More than 400,000 Americans died during the war, 16 million served in the Armed Forces, and even more supported the war effort from home.
Hours: The public may visit the WWII Memorial 24 hours a day, however rangers are on duty 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily
Address: 17th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, on the Mall
Website: www.nps.gov/nwwm
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange Lines)
Description: Some highlights of the Arlington National Cemetery are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Amphitheatre, the Curtis-Lee Mansion, and the graves of Presidents John F. Kennedy and William Howard Taft.
Hours: The Arlington National Cemetery is open to the public 365 days a year. From April 1 to September 30 the cemetery is open from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and for the rest of the year it closes at 5:00 p.m.
Cost: Free (no reservation required)
Address: Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA
Closest Metro Stop: Arlington National Cemetery (Blue Line)
Website: www.arlingtoncemetery.org
Additional memorials and places to visit
Korean War Memorial
Description: The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors the Americans who worked and fought under the trying circumstances of the Korean War and especially those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom in that war.
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Address: Independence at 23rd Street, SW, located at the base of the Lincoln Memorial Website: www.nps.gov/kwvn/home.htm
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian or Foggy Bottom (Blue and Orange Lines)
Military Parades
Description: Washington DC is proud to host a number of military parades throughout the year. One of the most popular is the Marine military parade which takes place on Fridays throughout the year. We can accommodate large groups at the Marine Barracks parade on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Elijah Abram (Elijah_Abram@vetaff.senate.gov) at the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Hours: Every Friday 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Address: 8th and "I" Streets, S.E.
Website: http://www.mbw.usmc.mil/
Closest Metro Stop: Eastern Market (Blue and Orange Lines)
National Air and Space Museum
Two Locations:
National Air and Space Museum on the Mall
Description: The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall has hundreds of original, historic artifacts on display, including the Wright 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a Lunar Rock sample. This site also offers two IMAX theatres.
Hours: open daily (excluding Christmas Day) from 10:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. with extended summer hours
Cost: Free
Address: Independence Ave and 6th
Phone: (202) 633-2214
Closest Metro Stop: Smithsonian Station (Blue and Orange Lines)
Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Description: The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the companion facility to the Air and Space Museum on the National Mall and it provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the National Mall.
Hours: The Museum is open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. daily (except for Christmas day).
Cost: Free
Address: 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA 20151
Phone: (202) 633-1000
Website: http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/
National Museum of the Marine Corps
Availability: Open 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. every day except for Christmas. Free docent-led tours are offered for groups of 20 or less at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m.. No reservations are required.
Address: 18900 Jefferson Highway, Triangle, VA 22172
Phone: (703)649-2352
Price: Free
Website: www.usmcmuseum.org
Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center
Description: This seven-foot statue is a memorial that honors the men and women of the US Navy. The statue is called the “Lone Sailor,” and stands to represent all who have served or will serve in the navy.
Hours: The memorial is open to visitors from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Address: 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Website: http://www.navymemorial.org/
Closest Metro Stop: Archives-Navy Mem’l-Penn Quarter (Green and Yellow Lines)
The Pentagon
Tour Summary: Each tour includes the mission of the Department of Defense and each of its branches of service, and visits numerous displays that highlight and depict significant moments in military history.
Address: 1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301
Availability: Tours are offered Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. Requests must be made at least two weeks in advance. Pentagon tours fill up fast and cannot be guaranteed
Closest Metro Stop: Pentagon Station (Yellow and Blue Lines)
How to request a tour: Contact Senator Burr’s Tour Coordinator at (202)224-3154 or visit http://pentagon.afis.osd.mil/index.html to submit a request directly.
Information to submit: Dates of availability, number in party, mailing address, phone number, and email address
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Description: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the sacrifice of American military personnel during one of this nation’s most divisive wars.
Hours: The public may visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 24 hours a day, however rangers are on duty to answer questions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Address: 21st Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Website: www.nps.gov/vive
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom (Blue and Orange Lines)
United States Air Force Memorial
Description: The Memorial itself is 270 feet high and appears to be soaring; its array of stainless steel arcs against the sky evokes the image of contrails of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they peel back in a precision ‘bomb burst’ maneuver.
Hours: People may visit the monument from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily.
Address: One Air Force Memorial Drive, Arlington, VA 22211
Website: www.airforcememorial.org
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom (Blue and Orange Lines)
U.S.M.C. War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial)
Description: The IWO Jima Memorial stands as a symbol of this nation’s esteem for the honored dead of the United States Marine Corps. The Statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of WWII, the raising of the American flag in Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima after an arduous fight to capture the island.
Hours: The monument is open from 8:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m., except for December 25th.
Address: George Washington Memorial Parkway and I-66, Arlington, VA
Website: www.nps.gov/gwmp/usmc.htm
Closest Metro: Arlington Cemetery (Blue Line)