Arlington House
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Location
Arlington, Virginia
Managed by
National Park Service
Setting
Inside Arlington National Cemetery
Admission
Free; confirm current visitor information before traveling
Arlington House is a historic mansion overlooking Washington, D.C., from within Arlington National Cemetery. Built as a home and a memorial to George Washington, it became a home to the Custis and Lee families—and to the enslaved people whose labor built and sustained the estate. Today, the National Park Service interprets those intertwined histories across the mansion, museum, gardens, and restored quarters. [1]
A visit is as much about the landscape and its layered history as the house itself. Explore the first-floor rooms at your own pace, visit exhibits about Robert E. Lee and his family, and make time for the North and South quarters and the garden. The site is reached through Arlington National Cemetery, so factor in the uphill walk—or check current cemetery transportation and access details—when planning your visit. [2][3]
Plan a trip to Arlington House
Why visit Arlington House?
Arlington House offers a close-up encounter with a historic estate whose meaning has changed over time. The Greek Revival mansion was built by George Washington Parke Custis as both a family home and a memorial to George Washington. Its rooms and grounds also tell a harder story: enslaved people built and worked on the estate, made family and community there, and resisted enslavement in many ways. [4][5]
The setting adds another layer. Arlington House stands within the cemetery that developed on the former Arlington plantation, and its grounds connect family history, slavery, the Civil War, emancipation, and national remembrance. It is a rewarding stop for visitors interested in Virginia history, the Civil War era, historic houses, or how public memory is shaped.
Start here
Begin with the site’s museum and orientation exhibits, then walk the grounds before or after exploring the mansion. The exhibits and restored quarters help place the formal rooms in context and bring forward the lives of people whose stories can be overlooked when a historic house is viewed only as a family residence.
If available during your visit, consider joining a ranger history talk. The National Park Service describes these as short interpretive talks rather than guided building tours; visitors explore the buildings independently. Check the official park page for current program times and operating information. [6]
What to see and do
Explore the mansion
Walk through the open first-floor rooms, which are furnished to evoke the house in 1861. The self-guided visit includes spaces such as the office, parlors, dining room, and center hall; access to other areas can vary.
Visit the museum
See exhibits and objects connected with Robert E. Lee and the Custis-Lee family, and use them as a starting point for understanding the site’s changing history.
Spend time at the restored quarters
The North and South quarters interpret the lives and experiences of enslaved people who lived and labored at Arlington. Allow time to read the exhibits and consider the different family stories represented.
Walk the garden and grounds
The garden and surrounding landscape reflect both the estate’s formal presentation and the labor of enslaved people who maintained it. The grounds also reveal how the site’s purpose changed after the Civil War.
Join a ranger history talk
When offered, ranger talks explore topics that may include African American history, Robert E. Lee, and how the nation remembers the past. Check the National Park Service’s current schedule before your visit.
History and significance
George Washington Parke Custis began building Arlington House in 1802. A grandson of Martha Washington and the adopted grandson of George Washington, Custis intended the mansion to preserve and display Washington family associations and artifacts. The house later became the home of Custis’s daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis, and her husband, Robert E. Lee. [9]
The estate’s history cannot be separated from slavery. Enslaved people constructed the house and its outbuildings, worked the land, and performed skilled and domestic labor. The National Park Service tells the stories of individuals and families including the Syphax, Burke, Parks, and Gray families. Custis’s will called for the people he enslaved to be freed within five years of his death in 1857; Robert E. Lee, as executor, carried out the emancipation in 1862. [10]
During the Civil War and after, the plantation landscape was transformed by military use, a community for formerly enslaved people, and the development of a national cemetery. The house is therefore not simply a preserved family home: it sits within a landscape shaped by displacement, freedom, military commemoration, and changing ideas about national memory. [11]
Planning a visit
Arlington House is inside Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery’s Arlington Cemetery Metrorail station is near its Welcome Center; visitors can then walk to the house or use the cemetery’s official bus service. The uphill walk is substantial: the National Park Service lists a steep route of about 0.5 miles with stairs and an alternate route of about 0.9 miles without stairs. Parking is at the cemetery Welcome Center, not at the mansion. Check current cemetery entry, transit, and parking information before setting out. [12]
The National Park Service lists the main floor, museum, and quarters as accessible, though details vary by building and area; the second floor is closed to visitors. Review current accessibility information if you need a step-free route or other accommodations. Hours, building access, and ranger programming may change, so confirm the latest details with the park before traveling. [13][14]
Nearby attractions
Arlington House is within the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, making it straightforward to pair the historic house with a cemetery visit. Across the Potomac, Washington, D.C.’s National Mall and memorials are nearby; in Virginia, Alexandria, Virginia offers another historic destination. Check access requirements and travel time for each stop, especially when entering the cemetery.
Arlington National Cemetery
A national military cemetery surrounding Arlington House, with memorials and ceremonial sites across its grounds.
George Washington Memorial Parkway
A scenic parkway along the Potomac River connecting several historic and recreational sites in Northern Virginia.
Alexandria, Virginia
A nearby historic city with a walkable Old Town waterfront and museums.
Travel books and maps: Browse related Virginia travel books and maps on Amazon
References
- ↑ Visitor Expectations and Language Resource, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Things To Do, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Physical / Mobility, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Art of a Patriot, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Telling the Story of the Enslaved People at Arlington House, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Things To Do, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Guided Tours, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Kingdom of My Childhood, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Art of a Patriot, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Telling the Story of the Enslaved People at Arlington House, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ From 1861 to Today, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Physical / Mobility, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Accessibility, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
- ↑ Things To Do, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved October 23, 2026.