Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial Monument

Address: Arlington House (The Robert E. Lee Memorial), Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA, USA

Website: https://www.nps.gov/arho/index.htm

Hours: Grounds accessible daily; house/opening hours vary seasonally - check NPS site

Admission: Free

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, is a historic mansion and memorial on the Arlington estate now within Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, preserved as a museum and viewpoint across the Potomac.

The house was constructed in the early 19th century by George Washington Parke Custis; Robert E. Lee and his family occupied it from 1831 until 1861. During the Civil War the estate was seized and later developed into Arlington National Cemetery; the mansion is now administered by the National Park Service as a memorial to Lee and the site’s layered history.

Arlington House sits within Arlington National Cemetery on a ridge overlooking the Potomac River, directly across from central Washington, D.C., and is accessible from the cemetery’s visitor routes.

• Origins: The house was built by George Washington Parke Custis in the early 19th century and later became the home of Robert E. Lee before the Civil War.
• Setting: It stands within Arlington National Cemetery and overlooks the Potomac River and the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

What to See#

• Arlington House (mansion): The 19th-century mansion that contains period rooms interpreted to the early 19th-century Custis household and later Lee family occupancy.
• Grounds and Views: Exterior terraces and gardens that provide panoramic views across the Potomac River toward Washington, D.C.
• Custis-Lee Exhibits: Interpretive exhibits about the Custis and Lee families and the transformation of the estate into Arlington National Cemetery.

Arlington House (the Robert E. Lee Memorial) is inside Arlington National Cemetery on Arlington Ridge in Arlington, VA. By Metro, take the Blue or Yellow line to Arlington Cemetery station and follow the cemetery pedestrian routes up to Arlington House (expect a 10-20 minute walk from the station across cemetery grounds).

By car it’s a short drive from downtown Washington, D.C. (roughly 2-3 miles / about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic); follow local signage for Arlington National Cemetery and park in the cemetery visitor lots.

• Check the National Park Service page for current house hours and any ranger-led tour schedules before you visit-access and tours of Arlington House are limited and times change seasonally.
• Visit early in the day to combine the house with a quieter walk around the surrounding Arlington National Cemetery grounds and to get unobstructed views back toward the Washington skyline.
• Don't treat the house as an isolated stop: spend time on the site's interpretation about the estate and enslaved people, and ask rangers about any short guided programs-these contextual elements are often missed by hurried visitors.