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National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Arlington, VA

Photo: U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brien Aho, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

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National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial

1 Rotary Rd · Arlington, VA

Why you should go…

This outdoor memorial just southwest of the Pentagon honors the 184 people killed when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building on September 11, 2001. Each victim has an engraved bench with a shallow lighted pool of flowing water beneath it, arranged by age from 3 to 71. Benches for those who died inside the Pentagon face the building, while those for the plane's passengers face the sky along its flight path. About 85 crape myrtle trees shade the roughly two-acre grounds, which opened in 2008.

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Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Historic

    Arlington National Cemetery Tours

    Under $25

    Narrated hop-on hop-off tram loop inside Arlington National Cemetery, stopping at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Kennedy gravesite and Arlington House.

    1.0 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Arlington National Cemetery

    Free

    Hallowed ground across the Potomac: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the changing of the guard, and the Kennedy gravesites.

    1.0 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

    Free

    Walk through four open-air rooms of red granite, cascading water and bronze sculpture that trace FDR's four terms beside the Tidal Basin.

    1.2 mi awayMore like this

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    Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

    Free

    See Dr. King's 30-foot granite likeness emerge from the Stone of Hope beside the Tidal Basin, ringed by a wall of his words.

    1.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Tidal Basin

    Free

    Walk the path around a 107-acre basin lined with cherry trees, past the Jefferson, FDR and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials.

    1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    Powerful

    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

    Free

    A profound, self-guided journey through Holocaust history just off the Mall, free, with timed passes for the Permanent Exhibition.

    1.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums