Guests in Town for the Holidays? Where to Take Them in Arlington

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article appeared in January 2013. 

By Beth Lawton and Jason Spencer

Do you have guests staying with you in Arlington for the holidays?

Chances are, they will want to do more than sit on the couch and watch Christmas specials and television show marathons. So, we’ve rounded up some things you can do right here in Arlington to keep your guests entertained and happy.

Things to See

The grounds of Arlington National Cemetery are beautiful for a stroll, even in winter. If you want to find a specific gravesite, the cemetery’s website has a service to help you do that.

The Iwo Jima Memorial is also known as the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. It is located near Arlington National Cemetery on Marshall Drive, next to the Netherlands Carillon bell and park.

Visible for miles around, the Air Force Memorial is one of the newer memorials in the Washington region. It is nestled between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery.

The Pentagon Memorial opened just a few years ago as a place to remember and pay tribute to those who worked at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 and who responded to the tragedy. (There’s no parking at the Pentagon itself, but you can park at nearby Pentagon City and walk or Metro to the Pentagon.)

While you’re near the Pentagon, you can visit a piece of the World Trade Center (and a bit of the Pentagon, too) at Arlington Fire Station No. 5 in Pentagon City. Station No. 5 was one of the first on the scene at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

And if you're in the mood, strap on some skates at the Pentagon Row Ice Rink. The rink opens at noon on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. It's open until 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Click here for more information.

Did you know the famous Deep Throat parking garage is in Rosslyn? There’s a historic marker at the garage under the office building at 1401 Wilson Blvd. “In a dark quiet corner, slot 32D is the space where, in 1972 and 1973, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward would meet at two in the morning with ‘Deep Throat,’ his secret source on the Watergate break–in,” according to Rosslyn Magazine.

Need more? Catch "Holiday Follies" or "Gypsy" at the Signature Theatre, live music at IOTA Club & Cafe or a movie at Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse.

Where to Eat

Arlington has no shortage of good, local restaurants. Along the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor, Lyon Hall near Clarendon and Carlyle in Shirlington are both great for brunch. Cava won “Best Wine Bar” in our Patch Readers’ Choice competition in 2012. Northside social has good coffee and a fun atmosphere. For lunch, go to Shirlington, stop in some of the cute shops and grab lunch anywhere from Capital City Brewery to Busboys & Poets.

Have other suggestions for guests from out of town? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!