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15 best things to do in Arlington

Picnic goers at Gravelly Point Park having their lunch near Reagan National Airport as a plane flies overhead

Just a short hop over the Potomac River from Washington, DC, Arlington is famous for being the home of Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. But there’s a lighter side to this charming county and plenty of wonderful things to see and do away from austere settings.

Come here to dine, admire art, play ice hockey, see a play in an award-winning venue and even walk in nature with some of the most iconic views around. There’s much more to Arlington than you might think – here are 15 amazing ways to experience it.

1. Be awed by the Iwo Jima Memorial

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Joe Rosenthal captured the moment six Marines installed the US flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during one of the most hard-fought battles in World War II. His soul-stirring photo became the inspiration for the Iwo Jima Memorial – the nickname for the US Marine Corps Memorial – rising atop a knoll overlooking the National Mall.

It’s powerful and poignant, with the flag proudly flying 24/7 by executive decree. On Tuesday evenings during summer, the Marine Corps sunset parade, a musical extravaganza of marching, drums and bugles, takes place. Nearby, the Netherlands Carillon, a gift of the Dutch, offers live summer concerts and automated concerts at other times. The grassy grounds offer an awe-inspiring perspective over the National Mall, a popular fireworks-watching spot on the Fourth of July.

Planning tip: There is no guaranteed seating at the parade, so feel free to bring your own lawn chairs or blankets.

You’re right on the flight path of landing and departing planes at Arlington’s Gravelly Point Park. Bill Chizek / Shutterstock

2. Spot planes at Gravelly Point Park

At Gravelly Point Park, near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, airplanes come in for a landing just over your head, so close you can feel the roar of the engines reverberate throughout your body as you study their underbellies. You’re right on the flight path of landing and departing planes.

Locals swarm to this small, wide-open park for the informal aviation show, bringing picnics, kids and dogs. It’s a circus of activity, with runners and bikers zipping past on the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail, while the sweeping views to the east take in DC’s monuments rising across the Potomac River.

Planning tip: You can only reach the park from the northbound side of George Washington Memorial Parkway.

3. See a play and have dinner in Shirlington 

You don’t have to go to the Kennedy Center to…

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