pentagon tour tickets

Pentagon Tours: Reservations, Parking, and Visiting Tips

The Pentagon, the headquarters of the Department of Defense, is one of the world's largest office buildings with about 6,500,000 sq ft. providing office space and amenities for more than 23,000 employees, both military and civilian. The building has five sides, five floors above ground, two basement levels, and a total of 17.5 miles of corridors. Guided tours are given by military personnel and are available by reservation only. Pentagon tours last for approximately one hour and provide an overview of the mission of the Department of Defense and the four branches of the military: Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps.

The outdoor Pentagon Memorial that commemorates the 9/11 attacks is open to the public with no reservations required. It is not included in the guided tour.

Arranging a Tour

To take a guided tour of the Pentagon, you must make a reservation in advance . Tours are conducted Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm and Fridays between 12 pm and 4 pm. Reservations must be booked from 14 to 90 days in advance. U.S. citizens can reserve a tour online, but foreign residents must contact their embassy to reserve a tour. All visitors must pass through a security scanning device and no photography will be allowed on the tour. You must arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled tour and bring along your confirmed reservation letter and photo identification.

Getting to the Pentagon

The Pentagon is located off of I-395 on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. The best way to get to the Pentagon is by Metrorail and the Visitor Center is located next to the Pentagon Metro Station.

There is no public parking at the Pentagon, but visitors may park at the Pentagon City Mall and walk to the entrance through a pedestrian tunnel. If you are not familiar with the area, it can be confusing, so be sure to leave plenty of time to find your way to the Visitor Center.

The tunnel is located across the street from Macy’s on the far side of the Reserved Parking Lot. Once through the tunnel, walk to the right until you see signs for the Metro Station and the Visitor Center. (When leaving, note that the tunnel is at the far end of parking Lane 7).

Major Points of Interest on the Pentagon Tour

The Pentagon is a building with a long and significant history with many points of interest you won't find anywhere else in Washington DC.

• The Hall of Heroes: includes the names of all the recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government.
• Overlord Embroidery: 34 tapestries created by Sandra Lawrence depict the story of the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
• Faces of the Fallen Memorial: an exhibit features individual portraits in honor of the service men and women killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
• POW-MIA Corridor: the exhibit recognizes United States military personnel taken as prisoners of war (POWs) or listed as missing in action (MIA).
• Soldiers and Signers of the Constitution Corridor: numerous paintings in this corridor commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and portray the founding fathers of our nation.
• 9/11 Memorial and Chapel: commemorates those killed in the terrorist attack at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The indoor memorial displays the names of the 184 victims. The chapel provides space for prayer and remembrance.
• 9/11 Memorial Quilts: project initiated by Jeannie Ammermann to honor those killed on September 11, 2001 evolved into a multi-quilt project that drew volunteer quilters from all parts of the U.S.
• Pentagon Center Courtyard: 5.5 acres of outdoor space in the interior of the building includes food concessions and casual seating areas.

Visiting Tips

As you get ready for your tour, here are some tips to make sure the experience goes as smoothly as possible and you get the most out of it.

• Although, the Pentagon recommends you arrive 15 minutes before your tour, plan to arrive 30 minutes early to allow time to go through security.
• The best time to take the tour is mid-day when transportation to the Pentagon is less congested.
• The tour includes walking a distance of about one and a half miles through the Pentagon corridors and staircases, so wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
• Be sure to visit the Pentagon Memorial after your guided tour of the Pentagon. It won't be included in your tour.
• Enjoy a casual lunch at the Pentagon City Mall before or after your tour. The mall has one of the nicest food courts in the area and more than 170 specialty shops.

20 Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

23 Top Free Things to Do in Washington, DC

The 26 Best Washington, D.C. Monuments and Memorials

48 Hours in Lower Manhattan: The Perfect Itinerary

The 16 Best Things to Do in Arlington, Virginia

Washington DC Old Town Trolley Tours: Hop on Hop off

Naval Academy Tours in Annapolis, MD

What to See and Do on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Take a Walking Tour of Downtown Phoenix

13 Top New York City Attractions

The Paris Catacombs: Creepy, Interesting, or Both?

12 Best Things to Do in Washington, DC, With Toddlers

Chateau de Vincennes: The Complete Guide

Best 14 Washington, D.C. Museums

Two Days in Washington DC: A 48 Hour Itinerary

Arlington National Cemetery: What to See and Do

The Pentagon

• Pentagon • 5 min walk

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travelers

The Pentagon, Washington DC

• (0.59 mi) DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Washington DC - Crystal City
• (0.68 mi) The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
• (1.79 mi) Hotel Hive
• (1.37 mi) Hilton Arlington National Landing
• (2.05 mi) The River Inn
• (0.00 mi) Baskin-Robbins
• (0.00 mi) Subway
• (0.02 mi) Dunkin'
• (0.02 mi) Sbarro
• (0.03 mi) Subway
• (0.22 mi) Pentagon Memorial
• (0.63 mi) Black Hawk Sedans
• (1.25 mi) Lincoln Memorial
• (1.41 mi) Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• (0.61 mi) Air Force Memorial

David B Gleason

Can I Tour the Pentagon?

The pentagon memorial is open to all visitors, and public tours inside the pentagon are available to us citizens with advance reservation..

Yes, but public tours inside the Pentagon are available to US citizens only with advance reservations. The Pentagon Memorial is open to all visitors.

How to tour the Pentagon

The Pentagon, located just outside Washington, DC in Arlington, Va., is the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense. It is open for official tours through the  Pentagon Tours program .

Pentagon tours must be reserved at least 14 days in advance and no more than 90 days in advance. Tours are conducted Tuesdays and Thursdays (excluding federal holidays) at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tours fill up quickly and it is highly recommended that you book well in advance of your visit. You can make a tour request online . International visitors must request a tour through their home country’s embassy.

Individuals who have a Pentagon badge and escort privileges are permitted to give a self-guided tours to friends or family. If you are assigned to the Pentagon or if you are visiting a Pentagon staff member, contact the Pentagon Force Protection Agency at (703) 697-1001 to determine escort status.

Nighttime at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Virginia

Touring the Pentagon

Tours are 60 minutes and cover about 1.5 miles inside the Pentagon, which is one of the largest office buildings in the world. Tours include the history of the four branches of the military and the opportunity to see the indoor memorial near the Sept. 11 crash site and the Sept. 11 Memorial chapel, as well as the Hall of Heroes (featuring the names of all the Medal of Honor recipients) and a number of other military displays.

@daily__ary

Parking, security and accessibility

There is no public parking at The Pentagon. The Pentagon can be reached via its own dedicated Metro stop on the Blue and Yellow lines or you may choose to park at Pentagon City Mall and make the five-minute walk to the Pentagon via pedestrian tunnel. Once you’ve arrived, check in at the Pentagon Tours window near the Metro entrance.

Visitors must check-in at least 60 minutes prior to their scheduled tour to allow time for security. You will be asked to present your tour confirmation email and photo ID. All visitors will go through security scanners. All purses are subject to search. Large bags, including backpacks, shopping bags and camera bags are NOT permitted on the tour. Cell phone, cameras, recording devices and other electronic devices cannot be used on the tour and no photography is permitted inside the building.

Ramps are available for visitors with disabilities. Tour visitors in wheelchairs must bring someone who can assist them on the tour.  A signer will be added to tours to assist hearing impaired visitors provided that two weeks' notice is given. Special tours for visually impaired visitors can also be arranged with two weeks' notice.

There are so many great tours and sightseeing opportunities in Washington, DC. Discover  your next tour adventure .

More About DC

You may also like..

8 Exciting Summer Activities in the Capital Region

9 Things to See & Do In Virginia

How Can I Tour the Monuments & Memorials in Washington, DC?

After 2-Year Hiatus, Pentagon Reopens for Tours

The seat of national defense is also home to a spectacular display of military history, by eun yang, news4 anchor • published may 19, 2022 • updated on may 19, 2022 at 10:29 am.

The Pentagon has opened again for tours, more than two years after it last offered them. The tour guides are dedicated to informing the public about the many contributions of the country's servicemen and women.

Army Specialist Tyson Weichbrodt imparts the gravity and emotion of Sept. 11, 2001:

"It was at 9:37 in the morning, Sept. 11. Flight 77, a 757 under the control of terrorists, was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon. It killed all 59 people on board and 125 people working here at the building. Their names, in alphabetical order, are listed here...."

The America's Heroes Memorial is located where the plane crashed into the Pentagon, an essential stop on these tours, which recently reopened to the public to tours.

We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.

'We want to impress on the public how seriously we've taken and remind them of the sobriety of that day," Specialist Weichbrodt said, "particularly for the younger generation, who was not born or perhaps very little. It's particularly impactful for them to understand what happened."

For Specialist Weichbrodt, sharing this defining moment in American history has personal meaning.

"It frames so much for me, that event, how I think of myself as an American, and it certainly contributed to my decision to join the military," he said.

Only the best in the building are selected to be tour guides. They have to go through an extensive process for which not even their military training could prepare them.

"So it was a 15-day process, 33 pages of scripts that we had to memorize verbatim, so every day we were learning about page and a half, I would say, front to back, of scripts," said Navy Seaman Ariana Diaz. "At the end of the process, you get three days to test out."

Catch Free Outdoor Movies in DC, Maryland and Virginia All Summer Long

The Weekend Scene: 10+ Things to Do in the DC Area May 20-22

That final test involves giving your colleagues a tour. It is a distinct honor, one that Seaman Diaz considers a highlight of her time at the Pentagon.

Her favorite section before is dedicated to women in service.

"It wasn't until 1901 with the Army nurses' corps, and 1908 with the Navy nurses' corps, when women were officially allowed to serve, and that was just as nurses," Seaman Diaz said. "Today, we're allowed to serve in every position, that being on submarines, on battleships, things of that nature. Thanks to these women, they were kind of being pioneers for me, specifically women in service."

Now, Seaman Diaz is a role model herself.

"I'm the first woman in my family who served in the military. So being able to work here has definitely shown me what I can do for further generations," she said. "My nieces, I want them to be just as great, if not greater. Maybe one day, they'll be able to be the president or the secretary of defense."

That's just a fraction of what you'll see and learn on the entire guided tour.

Tours are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. You must register online in advance.

For security reasons, you may not bring any electronics on the tour or take videos or photos. You also won't be able to store your electronics on-site, so remember to leave them behind. Prohibited devices include cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, cameras, storage devices/flash drives, scanners, headphones, virtual reality devices, transmitters and GPS devices.

Take the Metro, because parking is a challenge. And wear comfortable shoes, because you'll be walking about 1.5 miles during the tour.

This article tagged under:

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Taylor Swift fans given ‘urgent warning’ as £1m lost in ticket scams

Lloyds Bank says more than 600 of its customers have been tricked by fraudsters so far

A rise in fraud cases involving Taylor Swift fans desperate to buy tickets to her sold-out UK shows has prompted Lloyds Bank to issue an “ urgent warning ” after more than 600 of its customers were scammed.

With the superstar due to arrive in Europe next month , the high street bank said its data suggested that UK fans had lost more than £1m to fraudsters so far.

Swift is doing 15 huge shows in Great Britain, made up of eight nights at Wembley Stadium in London, plus three apiece in Liverpool and Edinburgh and one in Cardiff.

The run of shows, which starts in Edinburgh on 7 June, will involve her performing in front of almost 1.2 million people. However, demand for tickets massively outstripped supply when they went on sale last year, prompting many disappointed fans to hunt for them online and on social media. That has created the ideal conditions for scammers to target people with a range of online cons.

Lloyds said an analysis of scam reports made by its customers found there had been a rise in fraud cases involving people attempting to buy tickets for the star’s Eras Tour.

It added that since tickets went on sale last summer, more than 600 customers had come forward to report being scammed, which it said was “significantly more than for any other music artist”.

The average amount lost by each victim was £332, though in some cases it was more than £1,000.

As these figures are based solely on Lloyds Bank’s own customer data, it estimated that across the UK there are likely to have been at least 3,000 victims since tickets went on sale, suggesting more than £1m has been lost to fraudsters so far.

Lloyds said Taylor Swift ticket scams were “flooding” social media, and added that more than 90% of the reported cases started with fake adverts or posts on Facebook, although Facebook Marketplace says the purchase and sale of concert tickets is allowed.

“With all UK dates now sold out, many more fans are likely to fall victim to ticket scams in the coming weeks and months, both leading up to the tour and once the concerts begin in June,” said a spokesperson for the bank.

after newsletter promotion

Purchase scams involve someone being tricked into sending money via bank transfer to buy concert tickets or other items that do not exist.

Liz Ziegler, the bank’s fraud prevention director, said: “Cruel fraudsters have wasted no time in targeting [Swift’s] most loyal fans as they rush to pick up tickets for her must-see concerts.”

She added: “Buying directly from reputable, authorised platforms is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a genuine ticket … If you’re being asked to pay by bank transfer, particularly from a seller you’ve found on social media, that should immediately set alarm bells ringing.”

In the UK, the ticketing companies AXS and Ticketmaster run official Taylor Swift ticket resale services, and probably the best advice for would-be buyers is to regularly check these in the coming days and weeks, as there will be people who booked but are now unable to attend because of a holiday, illness or change of circumstances.

• Taylor Swift
• Ticket prices
• Consumer affairs
• Lloyds Banking Group

More on this story

‘Like eating too much chocolate’: Guardian readers on Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department

Taylor Swift fans flock to London pub apparently referenced on new album

Taylor Swift’s new album becomes Spotify’s most-streamed in a day

Taylor Swift’s Super Tuesday message urging fans to vote gets mixed reaction

Taylor Swift can teach us all a lesson in how democracy works

Taylor Swift is related to Emily Dickinson, genealogy company reveals

Taylor Swift: Singapore prime minister defends deal to secure exclusive access to Eras tour

Singapore sought exclusivity deal over Taylor Swift concerts in south-east Asia, Thai PM alleges

Glitz and glamour at Super Bowl takes shine off New York fashion week

US rightwing conspiracy theory touts Taylor Swift as ‘Pentagon asset’

Most viewed.