Iwo Jima Memorial

Through the fall of 2017 and into the beginning of 2018 there will be construction work at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Public access will be limited during that time. It was originally expected to be wrapped up around February 2018, but the project was expanded and is still going on. You can still visit the main sculpture, but the parking area around it is currently closed.

The work has also necessitated a move for the 2018 Sunset Parades; they will instead be held in the plaza in front of the Lincoln Memorial. You can find the schedule here.

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

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.

Official Website

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

For Photographers

You won't have a problem taking photos for personal use. For special use photography and filming, permits are $50 and up and available here. There's no problem using a tripod or flash.