Officially designated as a military cemetery on June 15, 1864, by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the Arlington National Cemetery is today, the final resting place for thousands of veterans from all of the nation's wars, covering the expanse between the American Revolution and the recent Iraq Wars.
With over 300,000 people buried at the cemetery which include Casualties of War and Honorary War Veterans, Explorers, former Presidents of the United States, and several historical figures, the Arlington National Cemetery is now administered by the National Park Service. Funerals are usually conducted on weekdays, with an average of 28 ceremonies performed every day.
Visitors to the cemetery can avail of guidebooks and maps to some of the most prestigious sites at the cemetery, and even view a number of interpretative exhibits at the Visitors Center. While here, don't forget to stop by at the Memorial Amphitheater, which was built in 1920, and hosts three prominent annual services. The pristine marble edifice also houses a small chapel, the famous white marble sarcophagus, which is aptly named the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, plaques and other tributes in the Memorial Display Room.
The Cemetery also houses a number of other prestigious monuments and memorials, which include the Iran Rescue Mission monument, the Korean War Contemplative Bench, the Rough Riders Memorial and several memorial trees.
The Arlington National Cemetery provides funeral services from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday, while visitors are permitted from 8 am to 5 pm, from October to March and 8 am to 7 pm, in the months between April and September.
