The Pentagon is one of the largest office buildings in the world. Located in Arlington County across the Potomac River, the Pentagon is twice the size of the Merchant Mart in Chicago and three times the floor space of the Empire State Building in New York. I mean, it is virtually a city in itself!
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While the Pentagon is not normally open to the public, it does offer guided tours to the public for free. However, you must send a request 14 to 90 days in advance either through their website or by contacting your Congressional or Senate Representative. The tours are available Monday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and on Friday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
After booking a spot one month in advance, they confirmed a few days prior to the visit with the instruction that we should arrive one hour before the scheduled time. We passed through airport-style security where they checked and verified our emails and photo IDs and passports. We were then ushered to the reception waiting area where there is a small gift shop, washrooms and a mock-up podium which we have all seen on TV. The podium is the only place in the Pentagon that you are allowed to take pictures.
After watching a video, the tour started with two service member, one at the front walking backward while talking about the history of the forces through a corridor lined displays, and the other at the back making sure there are no stragglers. The tour is about one hour and 1.5 miles of walking through the corridors within the building, highlighting the respective missions of the five Armed Services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Staff. The building also contains a shopping mall and a food court. The tour ended with a trip to the 9/11 memorial site where there is also a chapel.
There is no public parking at the Pentagon. You can reach there through its own dedicated Metro stop on the Blue and Yellow lines or you can park at the Pentagon City Mall and take the five-minutes walk through the pedestrian tunnel to the Pentagon.
Charity W. is a professional and skilled writer with a diploma in Mass Communication. When she is not glued to her computer screen, Charity spends her time reading, traveling, and watching movies. She is an expert on Arlington Virginia and keeps current with local events and occurrences.
