Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee National Memorial in Virginia, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-23. Check linked official notices before travel.

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, is a National Park Service historic property inside Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Visit the house, museum, and the quarters of people enslaved on the plantation. Entry to the buildings is free, but reaching them requires cemetery security screening and travel uphill from the visitor entrance.

Highlights of Arlington House

• The house: follow the self-guided route through the South Wing, including family rooms and Robert E. Lee's office.
• Enslaved People's Quarters: explore the lives and families of the people who lived and worked under slavery here.
• Museum and gardens: examine objects connected to the Custis and Lee families and walk between the historic buildings.

Plan your memorial visit

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Use the cemetery's marathon access notice for that weekend. At other times, confirm current building hours and cemetery entry conditions before departure.

Security screening and the uphill approach

Allow time for screening at the cemetery. Bring suitable photo identification; international visitors should carry a valid passport. Review the cemetery security rules for current identification requirements and prohibited items. Requirements can differ for ordinary pedestrians and people authorized to drive inside.

Watch for uneven surfaces on the approach and around the historic site. Plan the climb and return around your mobility needs.

Respect the property and cemetery

Stay behind the rails and on the house's designated route. Leave historic objects untouched. Strollers, food and drinks, and bags larger than 18 by 16 by 8 inches are prohibited inside the buildings, with the stated exception for a small quantity of sealed food. Pets cannot enter the cemetery; service animals are permitted.

Self-guided visits and ranger talks

No reservation is needed for the house's self-guided route or ranger talks. The North Wing and upstairs rooms are not part of the standard route; access depends on staffing. Ranger talks explain the site's history rather than guiding visitors through every room. Check the NPS visit information for program arrangements.

Reach Arlington House through the cemetery

Begin at the cemetery's Memorial Avenue entrance and Welcome Center. Drivers use the visitor parking facility beside it. Arlington Cemetery station on Metro's Blue Line is nearby. Unauthorized vehicles cannot drive through the cemetery to the house.

Arlington House's mailing address in McLean is an administrative destination, not the visitor entrance. Follow the cemetery's visitor routes to the historic property after screening.

Nearby memorial parks

Theodore Roosevelt Island is reached from a Virginia-side parking area off the northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway, followed by a footbridge. Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac has entrances from Boundary Channel Drive and the southbound parkway. Both are separate nearby stops; check access notices before driving between them.

Explore the house and the people behind it

Combine the house's South Wing with the museum and both quarters buildings. The rooms introduce the Custis and Lee households; the quarters help place their lives beside those of the enslaved families. Ranger interpretation also examines remembrance, emancipation, and the way this place became a memorial.

Accessibility and visitor services

The house's main floor, museum, and quarters are wheelchair accessible. Paved sidewalks connect the buildings, gardens, and bus stop. Exhibits include tactile elements, captioned video, and audio. Consult the NPS accessibility information when planning specific accommodations.

Visitors with a valid disability placard or qualifying documentation can use the cemetery's concessionaire tour tram without charge, with one companion. Ask at the Welcome Center about the arrangement. The cemetery does not rent wheelchairs.

About Arlington House

Plantation, occupation, and memorial

George Washington Parke Custis built the house between 1802 and 1818 as his home and a memorial to George Washington. His daughter Mary Anna married Robert E. Lee here in 1831. Enslaved African Americans lived and worked on the estate, including members of the Syphax, Burke, Parks, and Gray families.

The U.S. Army occupied the property during the Civil War and developed Arlington National Cemetery on the grounds. NPS has cared for the house since 1933. Its interpretation addresses both the famous residents and the people they enslaved.

Contact Arlington House

Call 703-235-1530 for historic-site questions. For cemetery entry and access arrangements, call 877-907-8585.