Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery

Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery is a burial ground in Washington, D.C. that holds the graves of military service members. The grounds feature rows of white headstones arranged in a formal pattern across the open landscape.

The cemetery was established in 1861 during the early stages of the Civil War when military officials needed burial space. The initial grounds grew over time to meet the growing needs of the military community.

The cemetery serves as a place where visitors come to remember service members and their contributions. You can walk among the white headstones and notice how the ordered rows create a sense of respect and remembrance for those buried here.

The cemetery can be accessed through the main entrance located on Harewood Road, and visitors should check opening hours before planning a visit. Since active burials still take place here, it is respectful to move quietly and stay on designated pathways throughout the grounds.

The ornamental iron main gate, constructed in the 1880s, incorporates salvaged architectural pieces from a government building that had been destroyed years earlier. This repurposing of historical materials makes the entrance gate a hidden layer of the cemetery's own story.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: July 1861

Official opening: August 3, 1861

Address: 21 Harewood Rd NW, Washington, DC 20011

Phone: +18779078585

Website: https://nps.gov/nr/travel/national_cemeteries/district_of_columbia/us_soldiers_and_airmens_home_national_cemetery.html

GPS coordinates: 38.94434,-77.00882

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:03