A little preparation makes a visit easier, especially at a large cemetery or one you have not been to before.
Before you go
- Find the grave location first. Look the person up in the Nationwide Gravesite Locator and write down the section and grave number. Large cemeteries hold tens of thousands of graves, and a name alone is not enough to find one on foot.
- Confirm hours with the cemetery. Visiting hours and office hours are often different, and both can change for holidays, weather and ceremonies. This site does not publish hours it has not verified; use the cemetery’s official page or call.
- Ask about access. If anyone in your party has difficulty walking, ask the office about parking near the section, paved paths and seating.
- Check for ceremonies. On Memorial Day, Veterans Day and during funerals, parts of the grounds may be crowded or closed to vehicles.
- Small sites may have no office. Soldiers’ lots and some closed historic cemeteries are unstaffed. The phone number listed is often a managing office at another cemetery.
When you arrive
- Stop at the office or visitor kiosk, if there is one, for a map. Many cemeteries have a self-service grave locator near the entrance.
- Headstones in national and state veterans cemeteries are inscribed with the section and grave number, so you can confirm you have found the right one.
- Funeral processions and services have priority. Give them room, and wait at a distance.
Conduct on the grounds
Each cemetery posts its own rules. These appear on the VA’s pages for individual national cemeteries:
- Sports and recreation, such as jogging, cycling and picnicking, are not permitted.
- Pets are generally not allowed; service animals are.
- Do not sit on headstones or markers.
Beyond the posted rules, we suggest a few courtesies of our own: keep voices low, walk between headstones rather than across graves where you can, and do not photograph mourners or funeral services.
Flowers and items left at graves
Rules on flowers, flags and other items differ from cemetery to cemetery and by season, and items are removed periodically by grounds staff. Ask the office or check the cemetery’s official page before bringing anything other than fresh cut flowers.
Do not clean a headstone without permission
The VA prohibits the public from power washing government headstones and warns that improper cleaning can speed their deterioration. Do not clean a headstone without the cemetery’s permission; the VA publishes guidance on safe cleaning. If a headstone is damaged, illegible or has an error, report it to the cemetery office.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration. Find a Cemetery (individual cemetery pages list visitor rules).
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration. Nationwide Gravesite Locator.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration. Cleaning Government Headstones and Markers.