Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. The national observance is at 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery; county offices, libraries and schools are closed.
Last checked Oct. 27, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from Arlington National Cemetery’s events page, Memorial Amphitheater page, 2025 Veterans Day notice and visitor pages; closings from Arlington County’s holiday schedule, the library holiday closings and the Arlington Public Schools calendar.
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, and the nation’s main ceremony is in Arlington. The National Veterans Day Observance is held in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, and the cemetery says its Veterans Day service begins at 11 a.m. and draws about 5,000 visitors. The cemetery lists the 2026 observance on its events page but had not posted its visitor notice for this year on Oct. 27; this page will be updated when it does. For cemetery questions, call 877-907-8585.
What this means for you
- Ceremony: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, Memorial Amphitheater. In 2025 it was free and open to the public, with first-come seating.
- Getting there: in 2025 walking to the amphitheater was not allowed; attendees rode the tram from the Welcome Center.
- Closed Nov. 11: county offices, public libraries and Arlington Public Schools.
- Also closed: the U.S. Air Force Memorial, from about Nov. 2 to mid-December, for construction.
The National Veterans Day Observance
The observance is sponsored by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, according to the cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater page. Veterans Day and Memorial Day are two of the three major services held there each year, and the cemetery says about 5,000 people attend each one.
The 2026 visitor arrangements are not out yet. The cemetery’s 2025 notice, for what it called the 72nd annual observance, gives a good idea of the morning:
| 2025 arrangement | Details |
|---|---|
| Admission | Free and open to the public |
| Seating | First come, first served in the amphitheater |
| Prelude | U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” Concert Band and Chorus, 10:30 a.m. |
| Ceremony | 11 a.m. |
| Wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | Limited to official participants |
| Parking | Free in the Welcome Center lot, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Tram | From the Welcome Center, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. or until capacity; return trips until 2 p.m. |
| Livestream | On DVIDS, for those who could not attend |
In 2025 every attendee passed through a security checkpoint. The banned list included umbrellas, large bags, backpacks, coolers, balloons, drones, glass or metal containers and aerosols; clear plastic water bottles were allowed. The cemetery warned of delays getting in and out and of movement freezes inside the cemetery during the ceremony. The full list is on its security page.
Getting to the cemetery
The main entrance is at 1 Memorial Ave., according to the cemetery’s plan your visit page:
- Metro: the Arlington Cemetery stop is a five-minute walk west along Memorial Avenue. The Ord and Weitzel Gate, on the north side near the Marine Corps War Memorial, is a 15-minute walk from the Rosslyn station.
- Parking: the Welcome Center garage normally costs $3 an hour, up to $12 a day, and is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the parking page says. On Veterans Day 2025 the cemetery made the Welcome Center lot free.
- ID: anyone over 18 entering by vehicle must show a REAL ID-compliant card at the checkpoint. People who walk in, take Metro or park in the Welcome Center garage do not.
The cemetery is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Traffic advice for Memorial Avenue and Route 110 is on our road construction and closures page, and meters and permit parking elsewhere in the county are on our getting around page.
U.S. Air Force Memorial closed
The U.S. Air Force Memorial and the area around it close to all visitors from on or about Nov. 2 until mid-December 2026, Arlington National Cemetery said. Vehicles and buses lose access too. The closure is for utility and construction work on the cemetery’s Southern Expansion project, and the memorial will not be open on Veterans Day.
What is open and closed
Arlington County government offices and facilities close on all federal holidays except Columbus Day, the county’s holiday schedule says, and Veterans Day is on its list of observed holidays.
- County offices: closed Wednesday, Nov. 11.
- Libraries: closed, the library’s holiday page says.
- Arlington Public Schools: no school; Veterans Day is a holiday on the APS calendar.
- Parking meters: not enforced on county holidays. Residential permit parking still applies.
- Trash and recycling: the county posts each holiday’s collection on its holiday schedule page the week before; see our trash and recycling guide.
Other ceremonies in Arlington
We have not found a 2026 Veterans Day ceremony or parade organized by Arlington County. Veterans posts and civic groups sometimes hold small ceremonies at the county’s war memorials. Holding one that is open to the public? Send the time and place through our contact page and we will add it.
Next on the cemetery’s calendar: Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 19.
Related guides: Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Day and things to do this month.
Frequently asked questions
When is Veterans Day 2026?
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. Arlington County offices, Arlington Public Library branches and Arlington Public Schools are closed.
Can the public attend the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery?
In 2025 the National Veterans Day Observance was free and open to the public, with first-come seating in the Memorial Amphitheater, a tram from the Welcome Center and security screening. The cemetery lists the 2026 observance for Nov. 11 and had not posted its 2026 visitor notice on Oct. 27.
What time is the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery?
The cemetery says its Veterans Day service in the Memorial Amphitheater begins at 11 a.m. In 2025 the U.S. Army Band played a prelude at 10:30 a.m.
Where do I park for Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery?
In 2025 the cemetery offered free parking in the Welcome Center lot from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Veterans Day. On other days the Welcome Center garage at 1 Memorial Ave. costs $3 an hour, up to $12 a day. The Arlington Cemetery Metro stop is a five-minute walk.
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