Thing to Do
When visiting Arlington House, you may walk through the mansion at your own pace or you can ask if there is a scheduled tour available. The tours start on the hour and take between thirty and forty-five minutes. Normally, tours occur on weekends in the winter or every day in the summer. The guided tours take you to areas not normally accessible and meet under the large tree behind the house.
The Robert E. Lee Museum at Arlington House contains exhibits and artifacts about Robert E. Lee and his family. Included are original objects from the Lee and Custis families.
The enslaved quarters are located on the North and South ends of Arlington House and help to tell other parts of the Arlington House story.
Arlington National Cemetery surrounds Arlington House, occupying more than half of the 1100 acres of land that was Arlington Plantation, home of George Washington Parke Custis and Robert E. Lee. Visit the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy and see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The National Mall is just across the Potomac River from Arlington House. The National Mall and Memorial Parks include the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the National World War II Memorial.
Arlington House is administered by the George Washington Memorial Parkway and also includes the Netherlands Carillon and the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial (often called the Iwo Jima Memorial), both located just north of Arlington Cemetery. The parkways runs alongside the Potomac River from the American Legion Bridge on the beltway to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate.
Pets are not allowed inside public buildings or in the cemetery, unless a designated assistance animal
There is no fee to visit Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial.
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
George Washington Memorial Parkway
c/o Turkey Run Park
McLean , VA 22101
For information on permits, please contact the permit office for the George Washington Memorial Parkway at (703) 289-2513. For information on reservations, please call Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial at (703)-235-1530.
Open daily 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM Closed on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
If your questions concerning accessibility are unanswered after reading this webpage, please contact us at 703-289-2500 or e-mail us.
Service animals are allowed in national parks. For a definition of a service animal, please see the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) definition.
The basement and 2nd floor of the house are not accessible by wheelchair and may prove difficult for some. However, there is wheelchair access to the 1st floor of the house and museum.
Learn more about accessibility at Arlington Cemetery.
Assistive listening devices, or large print brochures may be available by request or with advance notice. For information about individual park programs, please visit park websites.
NPS Photo
From Arlington Ridge, experience a panoramic view of iconic DC architecture behind the US Marine Corps War Memorial.
Meridian Hill Park offers visitors the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and find a peaceful refuge, recreation and fresh air.
One of the best places to view the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial is from the top of the Washington Monument
Georgetown Waterfront Park stretches along the banks of the Potomac River from 31st Street NW to the Key Bridge.
Find a new perspective at the top of the Old Post Office Tower.
Gaze across the river that once divided us, from the steps of Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial.
Talk to a ranger, tour Frederick Douglass's home or walk the grounds for a sweeping view of Washington D.C.
Attend a Ranger Program, paddle in the Tidal Basin, or dive into history at memorials and monuments on the National Mall.
A run, walk, or cycle alongside the Potomac River offers uninterrupted views of Washington, D.C.'s skyline.
Last updated: September 25, 2023
