In Arlington, a carillon rings out military anthems. A drug enforcement museum lets children work toward a junior agent badge. And on one morning each year, shadows in a Rosslyn park match shapes set into the ground.
These are three of the more unusual stops in this county across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. Arlington is also home to a national cemetery, a contemporary art museum, and a Saturday farmers market. Together, the Arlington, VA attractions below make for a full visit on their own.
The places on this list fall into four parts of Arlington:
If you have only a few hours, choose one area rather than crossing Arlington for every stop. With a full day, you can cover two or three areas and decide ahead of time how you’ll get between them.
Arlington National Cemetery covers 639 acres, and its own visitor information warns that the hills and walking distances require moderate physical exertion. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free.
As an active military cemetery and a place of remembrance, it asks visitors to keep noise low and follow posted guidance, particularly near ceremonies and burial services.
Plan on several hours to see all of the sites below without rushing:
Tram option: An interpretive tram stops at major sites, so you don’t have to walk the hills. Tickets cost:
Holders of a valid military ID pay a reduced rate, and active-duty service members in uniform ride free. Visitors with a valid disability placard ride free, plus one companion.
The nearby U.S. Air Force Memorial sometimes closes because of construction for the cemetery’s Southern Expansion, so check Arlington National Cemetery’s notices before you go.
The DEA Museum occupies the first floor of Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters at 700 Army Navy Drive. Its exhibits examine the history and science of drug misuse, federal drug policy, and drug law enforcement, with material on forensic work and the fentanyl crisis.
Note these details before your visit:
Children 12 and younger can complete activities to earn a Junior Special Agent badge.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City sits directly across the street, so you can walk over for lunch or shopping after your visit.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, or MoCA Arlington, is the only museum on this list that focuses on art rather than history. Its exhibitions change throughout the year and include Assembly, a national biennial organized by independent curators, as well as work by the museum’s resident artists.
The museum occupies a former school building near Virginia Square. Entry is free, and its galleries are open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Good fit if: you want to spend about an hour with art instead of a long visit to a large museum.
The two sites are a short walk apart and both free to visit, making them easy to see together.
The Marine Corps War Memorial recreates the Iwo Jima flag raising that photographer Joe Rosenthal captured on February 23, 1945. The grounds are open from 6 a.m. until midnight.
The people of the Netherlands gave the Netherlands Carillon to the United States. Since its restoration, it has had 53 bells. Automated chimes sound every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and at noon the bells play a medley of U.S. armed forces anthems.
The grounds offer broad views toward Washington, but visitors cannot enter the tower.
The FRESHFARM Arlington Market at Courthouse has operated since 1979 and runs year-round on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, starting at 9 a.m. in winter.
Vendors sell much more than vegetables, including:
If Thursday suits you better, Ballston has its own year-round FRESHFARM market, open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. during its main season. On the first Thursday of the month, it becomes a Mega Market with live music and a beer-and-wine garden.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City has more than 140 shops and restaurants across four levels, with Macy’s and Nordstrom as anchor stores. Its Metro level connects directly to the Pentagon City station on the Blue and Yellow lines, so you can arrive without going outside.
Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The mall is a good option on a rainy day, or on a Monday, when both the DEA Museum and MoCA Arlington are closed.
Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center is a 92,000-plus-square-foot Arlington County facility near the Potomac. Its aquatics areas include the county’s only 50-meter pool and a leisure pool with a lazy river, water play features, and a slide. Day passes are sold at the front desk:
Pool availability changes by day, and programs can temporarily close parts of the aquatic areas. Check the county’s lane and leisure-pool calendar before promising children the slide or leisure pool.
Dark Star Park in Rosslyn is a 0.4-acre artwork Nancy Holt created from large concrete spheres, tunnels, steel poles, and landscape-integrated forms. Arlington County commissioned the work in 1979, and it opened in 1984.
On August 1 at approximately 9:32 a.m., shadows from its spheres and poles line up with permanent shadow forms embedded in the ground. The date commemorates the day William Henry Ross purchased the land that later became Rosslyn.
On other days of the year, you can still walk through the tunnels and around the spheres, although the alignment will not happen.
On a first visit, start at Arlington National Cemetery, then head to the Marine Corps War Memorial and the Netherlands Carillon. If you have more time, add the DEA Museum, MoCA Arlington, or Dark Star Park, depending on whether you’re most interested in federal history, contemporary art, or public art.
Beyond the best-known memorials, Arlington’s museums, public art, markets, and family activities give you reasons to come back for a second visit.
