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.
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
https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/historyculture/usmcwarmemorial.htm
Nearby & Related:
Washington DC Visitor Guides
If you're coming in from out of town, here are some of the most popular guidebooks that can help you make the most of your visit.
- Fodor's Travel Guides (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Planet, Lonely (Author)
- Fodor’s Travel Guides (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- JoAnn Hill (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
And here are some interesting options for less traditional guidesbooks if you'd like an emphasis on exploring DC on foot or diving into some of the region's rich history.
- NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
- Kennedy, Barbara Noe (Author)
- Fortier, Alison (Author)
- English (Publication Language)