51 Cemeteries Project: #50, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington VA

Arlington National Cemetery is one the most famous cemetery in the world. More than 300,000 Americans who served their country are buried here. These days, they conduct more than 20 funerals each day, and space is becoming a premium as wars battle on in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the most popular locations to visit is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These photos were taken during the changing of the guard.

Every Memorial Day, thousands of flags are placed in front of the graves by the soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Unit (also known as Old Guard) during a three hour ceremony called a "Flags-In"

Arlington National Cemetery is spread over 624 arces and it has the second-largest number of people buried at any of the 130 national cemeteries in the US. For more info on Arlington National Cemetery's rich history, check out its web site at http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/

51 Cemeteries Project: #51, Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington DC

Updated Photographs from April 2010

I have been visiting this cemetery for as long as I have lived in the Washington DC area. I originally came to see the famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens' "Adams Memorial," but later spent hours walking around this very old cemetery filled with some very cool headstones. It was established in 1719 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


One late summer afternoon, I spent about 30 minutes following around these three deer around.

This is the forementioned "Adams Memorial" which was create by Saint-Gaudens as memorial/grave site for Marian "Clover" Hooper Adams, wife of the writer Henry Adams. Adams was a American socialite who took her own life in 1885. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to a Grief Memorial. Henry Adams is also buried here.

I always have to pause and admire this gravestone which sits on top of a hill. Who says cemeteries have no life in them...

The cemetery is 86 acres and its web address is: http://www.rockcreekparish.org/