Iwo Jima Memorial

At the heart of the Iwo Jima Memorial (or the Marine Corps War Memorial) is a massive bronze statue based on an iconic World War II photo of the Marines planting the flag at Iwo Jima. The Memorial is next to Arlington National Cemetery on a hill overlooking the National Mall.

Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington VA Silhouette
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The Iwo Jima Memorial is the world’s largest bronze statue. And it’s certainly distinctive.

It stands in a park adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery on the Rosslyn (northern) side. The statue itself is a photo cast in bronze, being based on the famous and controversial photo Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi. Each of its six Marines stand 32 feet high.

Local Tip: Its formal name is the Marine Corps War Memorial, but most locals know it as the Iwo Jima Memorial. Both names are used on various signs around the area.

On Tuesday evenings in the summer, the Marine Corps Washington Barracks puts on a Sunset Parade by the Drum and Bugle Corps and the Silent Drill Team. More information is available here.

Photos of the Iwo Jima Memorial

Iwo Jima Memorial Statue
Commandant's Own at the Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima MemorialIwo Jima MemorialIwo jima Memorial (Marine Corps Memorial) SunriseSilent Drill Platoon at the Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima MemorialMarine Corps Sunset ParadeIwo jima Memorial (Marine Corps Memorial) SunriseIwo Jima Memorial in Arlington VA Uncommon ValorIwo Jima Memorial in Arlington VA SoldiersMarine Corps Sunset Parade

Getting to the Iwo Jima Memorial

The Iwo Jima Memorial is accessible from 6am to midnight every day. You can wander freely in all 360 degrees around the Memorial. It’s illuminated at night.

There are a couple of dozen parking spots within the grounds of the memorial itself and there is often some parking on the street in the neighborhood around the Iwo Jima Memorial. You can also park at Arlington National Cemetery and walk across.

The nearest Metro stations are either the Rosslyn stop (0.5 miles) on the Blue/Orange line or Arlington National Cemetery stop (0.8 miles) on the Blue line. It’s a 10-15 minute walk from both. The walk from and through Arlington National Cemetery is more scenic (and you can ride the shuttle bus back), but slightly longer. The Washington Metro Trip Planner is very handy for working out how to get from A to B on Washington’s public transport.

National Park Service George Washington Memorial Parkway, Arlington, VA 22209

Official Website

https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/historyculture/usmcwarmemorial.htm

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