do they give tours of the pentagon

David B Gleason

Can I Tour the Pentagon?

The pentagon memorial is open to all visitors, and public tours inside the pentagon are available to us citizens with advance reservation..

Yes, but public tours inside the Pentagon are available to US citizens only with advance reservations. The Pentagon Memorial is open to all visitors.

How to tour the Pentagon

The Pentagon, located just outside Washington, DC in Arlington, Va., is the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense. It is open for official tours through the  Pentagon Tours program .

Pentagon tours must be reserved at least 14 days in advance and no more than 90 days in advance. Tours are conducted Tuesdays and Thursdays (excluding federal holidays) at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tours fill up quickly and it is highly recommended that you book well in advance of your visit. You can make a tour request online . International visitors must request a tour through their home country’s embassy.

Individuals who have a Pentagon badge and escort privileges are permitted to give a self-guided tours to friends or family. If you are assigned to the Pentagon or if you are visiting a Pentagon staff member, contact the Pentagon Force Protection Agency at (703) 697-1001 to determine escort status.

Nighttime at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Virginia

Touring the Pentagon

Tours are 60 minutes and cover about 1.5 miles inside the Pentagon, which is one of the largest office buildings in the world. Tours include the history of the four branches of the military and the opportunity to see the indoor memorial near the Sept. 11 crash site and the Sept. 11 Memorial chapel, as well as the Hall of Heroes (featuring the names of all the Medal of Honor recipients) and a number of other military displays.

@daily__ary

Parking, security and accessibility

There is no public parking at The Pentagon. The Pentagon can be reached via its own dedicated Metro stop on the Blue and Yellow lines or you may choose to park at Pentagon City Mall and make the five-minute walk to the Pentagon via pedestrian tunnel. Once you’ve arrived, check in at the Pentagon Tours window near the Metro entrance.

Visitors must check-in at least 60 minutes prior to their scheduled tour to allow time for security. You will be asked to present your tour confirmation email and photo ID. All visitors will go through security scanners. All purses are subject to search. Large bags, including backpacks, shopping bags and camera bags are NOT permitted on the tour. Cell phone, cameras, recording devices and other electronic devices cannot be used on the tour and no photography is permitted inside the building.

Ramps are available for visitors with disabilities. Tour visitors in wheelchairs must bring someone who can assist them on the tour.  A signer will be added to tours to assist hearing impaired visitors provided that two weeks' notice is given. Special tours for visually impaired visitors can also be arranged with two weeks' notice.

There are so many great tours and sightseeing opportunities in Washington, DC. Discover  your next tour adventure .

More About DC

You may also like..

Timed Entry Information for 6 Free DC Attractions

Exploring Historic Old Town Alexandria in Virginia

Guide to Visiting Arlington National Cemetery

Pentagon Tours: Reservations, Parking, and Visiting Tips

The Pentagon, the headquarters of the Department of Defense, is one of the world's largest office buildings with about 6,500,000 sq ft. providing office space and amenities for more than 23,000 employees, both military and civilian. The building has five sides, five floors above ground, two basement levels, and a total of 17.5 miles of corridors. Guided tours are given by military personnel and are available by reservation only. Pentagon tours last for approximately one hour and provide an overview of the mission of the Department of Defense and the four branches of the military: Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps.

The outdoor Pentagon Memorial that commemorates the 9/11 attacks is open to the public with no reservations required. It is not included in the guided tour.

Arranging a Tour

To take a guided tour of the Pentagon, you must make a reservation in advance . Tours are conducted Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm and Fridays between 12 pm and 4 pm. Reservations must be booked from 14 to 90 days in advance. U.S. citizens can reserve a tour online, but foreign residents must contact their embassy to reserve a tour. All visitors must pass through a security scanning device and no photography will be allowed on the tour. You must arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled tour and bring along your confirmed reservation letter and photo identification.

Getting to the Pentagon

The Pentagon is located off of I-395 on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. The best way to get to the Pentagon is by Metrorail and the Visitor Center is located next to the Pentagon Metro Station.

There is no public parking at the Pentagon, but visitors may park at the Pentagon City Mall and walk to the entrance through a pedestrian tunnel. If you are not familiar with the area, it can be confusing, so be sure to leave plenty of time to find your way to the Visitor Center.

The tunnel is located across the street from Macy’s on the far side of the Reserved Parking Lot. Once through the tunnel, walk to the right until you see signs for the Metro Station and the Visitor Center. (When leaving, note that the tunnel is at the far end of parking Lane 7).

Major Points of Interest on the Pentagon Tour

The Pentagon is a building with a long and significant history with many points of interest you won't find anywhere else in Washington DC.

• The Hall of Heroes: includes the names of all the recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government.
• Overlord Embroidery: 34 tapestries created by Sandra Lawrence depict the story of the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
• Faces of the Fallen Memorial: an exhibit features individual portraits in honor of the service men and women killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
• POW-MIA Corridor: the exhibit recognizes United States military personnel taken as prisoners of war (POWs) or listed as missing in action (MIA).
• Soldiers and Signers of the Constitution Corridor: numerous paintings in this corridor commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and portray the founding fathers of our nation.
• 9/11 Memorial and Chapel: commemorates those killed in the terrorist attack at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The indoor memorial displays the names of the 184 victims. The chapel provides space for prayer and remembrance.
• 9/11 Memorial Quilts: project initiated by Jeannie Ammermann to honor those killed on September 11, 2001 evolved into a multi-quilt project that drew volunteer quilters from all parts of the U.S.
• Pentagon Center Courtyard: 5.5 acres of outdoor space in the interior of the building includes food concessions and casual seating areas.

Visiting Tips

As you get ready for your tour, here are some tips to make sure the experience goes as smoothly as possible and you get the most out of it.

• Although, the Pentagon recommends you arrive 15 minutes before your tour, plan to arrive 30 minutes early to allow time to go through security.
• The best time to take the tour is mid-day when transportation to the Pentagon is less congested.
• The tour includes walking a distance of about one and a half miles through the Pentagon corridors and staircases, so wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
• Be sure to visit the Pentagon Memorial after your guided tour of the Pentagon. It won't be included in your tour.
• Enjoy a casual lunch at the Pentagon City Mall before or after your tour. The mall has one of the nicest food courts in the area and more than 170 specialty shops.

20 Best Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

23 Top Free Things to Do in Washington, DC

The 26 Best Washington, D.C. Monuments and Memorials

Crystal City, Virginia

The 16 Best Things to Do in Arlington, Virginia

Washington DC Old Town Trolley Tours: Hop on Hop off

Naval Academy Tours in Annapolis, MD

Lisbon's Belém Tower: The Complete Guide

What to See and Do on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Two Days in Washington DC: A 48 Hour Itinerary

Take a Walking Tour of Downtown Phoenix

Chateau de Vincennes: The Complete Guide

San Jose del Cabo Walking Tour

13 Top New York City Attractions

The Paris Catacombs: Creepy, Interesting, or Both?

12 Best Things to Do in Washington, DC, With Toddlers

After 2-Year Hiatus, Pentagon Reopens for Tours

The seat of national defense is also home to a spectacular display of military history, by eun yang, news4 anchor • published may 19, 2022 • updated on may 19, 2022 at 10:29 am.

The Pentagon has opened again for tours, more than two years after it last offered them. The tour guides are dedicated to informing the public about the many contributions of the country's servicemen and women.

Army Specialist Tyson Weichbrodt imparts the gravity and emotion of Sept. 11, 2001:

📺 Watch News4 now: Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

"It was at 9:37 in the morning, Sept. 11. Flight 77, a 757 under the control of terrorists, was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon. It killed all 59 people on board and 125 people working here at the building. Their names, in alphabetical order, are listed here...."

The America's Heroes Memorial is located where the plane crashed into the Pentagon, an essential stop on these tours, which recently reopened to the public to tours.

We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.

'We want to impress on the public how seriously we've taken and remind them of the sobriety of that day," Specialist Weichbrodt said, "particularly for the younger generation, who was not born or perhaps very little. It's particularly impactful for them to understand what happened."

For Specialist Weichbrodt, sharing this defining moment in American history has personal meaning.

"It frames so much for me, that event, how I think of myself as an American, and it certainly contributed to my decision to join the military," he said.

Only the best in the building are selected to be tour guides. They have to go through an extensive process for which not even their military training could prepare them.

"So it was a 15-day process, 33 pages of scripts that we had to memorize verbatim, so every day we were learning about page and a half, I would say, front to back, of scripts," said Navy Seaman Ariana Diaz. "At the end of the process, you get three days to test out."

Catch Free Outdoor Movies in DC, Maryland and Virginia All Summer Long

The Weekend Scene: 10+ Things to Do in the DC Area May 20-22

That final test involves giving your colleagues a tour. It is a distinct honor, one that Seaman Diaz considers a highlight of her time at the Pentagon.

Her favorite section before is dedicated to women in service.

"It wasn't until 1901 with the Army nurses' corps, and 1908 with the Navy nurses' corps, when women were officially allowed to serve, and that was just as nurses," Seaman Diaz said. "Today, we're allowed to serve in every position, that being on submarines, on battleships, things of that nature. Thanks to these women, they were kind of being pioneers for me, specifically women in service."

Now, Seaman Diaz is a role model herself.

"I'm the first woman in my family who served in the military. So being able to work here has definitely shown me what I can do for further generations," she said. "My nieces, I want them to be just as great, if not greater. Maybe one day, they'll be able to be the president or the secretary of defense."

That's just a fraction of what you'll see and learn on the entire guided tour.

Tours are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. You must register online in advance.

For security reasons, you may not bring any electronics on the tour or take videos or photos. You also won't be able to store your electronics on-site, so remember to leave them behind. Prohibited devices include cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, cameras, storage devices/flash drives, scanners, headphones, virtual reality devices, transmitters and GPS devices.

Take the Metro, because parking is a challenge. And wear comfortable shoes, because you'll be walking about 1.5 miles during the tour.

This article tagged under:

MilitarySpot.com

Serving the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard

Pentagon Reopens for Guided Tours

MAY 2, 2022 – The Defense Department has reopened its doors to military-style hospitality. Beginning May 10, and on a limited basis, visitors will again be able to take a guided tour of the Pentagon and see where the world’s greatest military minds plan the defense of the nation.

In years past, school groups, scouts and others could sign up to take a guided tour of one of the largest office buildings in the world and visit the multiple displays in the building which, among other things, pay tribute to military services, commemorate military conflicts and veterans, highlight U.S. military relationships with partner nations, recognize the contributions of outstanding individuals and provide information about topics important to the defense of the nation

Tours were stopped in March 2020 due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. But the doors are opening again, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby told reporters today during an afternoon briefing.

“I’m pleased to announce that on the 10th of May, the Pentagon will reopen tours on a limited basis,” Kirby told reporters, flanked by a group of Pentagon tour guides from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

“They’ve been … preparing for quite some time here to showcase the more than 30 exhibits that provide the history and the accomplishments of the U.S. armed forces and the Department of Defense,” Kirby said of the tour guides. “These are our finest young men and women. … They represent the very best of the best of each service. It takes a lot to become a member of the Ceremonial Guard and then to go from that to becoming a Pentagon tour guide. I know how excited they are about getting back to work and getting back at it. And I know how proud they’re all going to continue to make us.”

Kirby said tours in the Pentagon will take place at 10am and 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays — a limited schedule from what was the pre-COVID-19 norm — and that those interested can schedule a Pentagon tour by visiting the Defense Department website.

The detail-rich Pentagon tours involve approximately 1.5 miles of walking and last about an hour.

BY C. TODD LOPEZ, DOD NEWS

Search Results

We are sorry, no results were found for your search .

Ultimate Guide to the Pentagon

One of the largest office buildings in the world, the Pentagon serves as the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. A symbol of American military strength, the concrete and steel building is recognized around the world. Nearly 30,000 military and civilian personnel work inside the Pentagon each day. Covering approximately 6.5 million square feet, the building contains a food court and mini-shopping mall. Because of its size, the Pentagon has six ZIP codes. It uses the place identifier for Washington, DC even though the five-sided building is actually located in Arlington, Virginia .

The Building

The famous edifice has five rings, five floors above ground and two floors below ground. There are almost 18 miles of corridors. Despite its size, the layout of the hallways and interconnecting walkways enables an individual to reach any office in less than seven minutes. The rings are labeled “A” through “E” from the interior courtyard to the outside. Because the E-ring is the only one with exterior views, it is the location for offices of the most senior officials. The five-acre courtyard park is nicknamed Ground Zero. The term was inspired by the belief that the park would be a primary target for Soviet nuclear missiles during the Cold War. The Pentagon is twice the size of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The U.S. Capitol would fit in just one of the building’s five wings.

The Northern Mall Terrace façade features a portico that leads to a 600-foot-long terrace that is used for various official ceremonies. The portico of the River Entrance façade overlooks a lagoon and a landing point. The dock was once used by duty boats that transported service members across the Potomac River to Bolling Air Force Base. The main visitor entrance, the Concourse Entrance façade, is the location of the Pentagon Metro stop. The other two facades are known as the Helipad and South Parking entrances. The site of numerous anti-war protests over the years, the Pentagon was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

History of the Pentagon

During World War I, the War Department was housed in a variety of permanent and temporary buildings in and around Washington, DC. In the late 1930s, a new headquarters was constructed in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. This building soon proved inadequate. It is currently used by the State Department. With the rapid expansion of the War Department during World War II, Secretary of War Henry Stimson lobbied President Franklin Roosevelt for a large permanent office building. In 1941, it was agreed that a new large office building would be constructed in Arlington. The original site selected for construction was the pentagon-shaped Arlington Farms, a temporary housing complex for female civil servants operated by the Department of Agriculture.

When concerns arose that the new building might obstruct views of Washington , DC from Arlington National Cemetery, the construction site was moved to the former Hoover Field Airport. To keep costs down, the building’s pentagon-shape design plans were retained. The configuration was reminiscent of the star-shaped forts built during the gunpowder age. To reduce the amount of steel used, architects incorporated ramps rather than elevators in the building. Steel was in short supply and needed for the war effort. The exterior façade is adorned with Indiana limestone. Architectural, design and construction work were accomplished simultaneously, and the building was constructed in sections to save time. Colonel Leslie Groves who later oversaw the Manhattan Project as a general officer, supervised the work on the Pentagon. The building cost slightly more than $31.1 million to complete in 1943.

During construction, segregation laws in Virginia required separate rest room facilities for blacks and whites. As a result, the Pentagon has a higher ratio of rest rooms for its occupants than most similar size office buildings. It was the only public building in Arlington with segregated rest rooms until 1965. On Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 struck the western side of the Pentagon killing 189 people. Although approximately one-third of the building was damaged, the repairs were completed by the anniversary of the attack. The repairs were incorporated into a larger ongoing renovation program that was completed in 2011, which brought the Pentagon up to standards required for modern office buildings.

Must See Exhibits

More than 100,000 people visit the Pentagon each year. A 60-minute guided tour highlights the history of the building and the Department of Defense. Covering approximately 1.5 miles, the guided tour includes the Hall of Heroes, which honors America’s Medal of Honor recipients, as well as an exhibit dedicated to prisoners of war and those missing in action. You will also see numerous portraits of the country’s founding fathers and a painting depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

While at the Pentagon, guests can also see the National 9-11 Pentagon Memorial. Situated on the west side of the building, the memorial is dedicated to those who lost their lives that fateful day. The 2-acre park features illuminated benches engraved with the names of the victims, memorial pools and a wall ranging from 3 inches to 71 inches in height to represent the ages of the youngest and oldest victims. There are also 85 paperbark maple trees. Open seven days a week, it is the only place on the Pentagon grounds where photography is permitted.

There is also a burial marker in nearby Arlington National Cemetery . It marks the grave of the 184 victims of the attack on the Pentagon. Located in Section 64, the five-sided granite marker lists the names of those who perished on the plane and inside the Pentagon.

The Pentagon parking lots are used as the staging point for a number of annual events. These include Rolling Thunder, a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts showing support for America’s prisoners of war and missing in action, the Army Ten-Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon.

Know Before You Go

You must make reservations for the guided tour at least 14 but not more than 90 days in advance. Tours are offered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. except on federal holidays. Visitors 18 and older require a valid government-issued photo ID. The tour starts at the visitor center just to the left, inside the Pentagon Metro entrance. Arrive at least an hour before your scheduled tour to pass through security. The Metro stop is on the Blue and Yellow lines. The Pentagon does not have public parking.

Nearby Attractions

Arlington National Cemetery is the location for the Tomb of the Unknowns and the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy along with numerous other monuments and memorials. It is also the burial ground for many famous Americans and war heroes, including Audie Murphy, Abner Doubleday and Joe Louis. There are monuments and memorials to the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia as well as Women in the Military Service, Pan Am Flight 103 and Spanish American War Nurses.

Formerly known as Columbia Island, Lady Bird Johnson Park includes scenic walking and driving paths, colorful plantings and blooming trees that provide vivid Spring and Fall foliage. There are overlooks and picnic areas as well. The park also features the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove and the Navy and Marine Memorial. The Mount Vernon Trail passes through the park.

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and analyze the use of the website. Learn More

Reserve Your Spot with Confidence! Full Refunds with 24 Hrs Notice. Reschedule at any point, even after tour, if space allows!

Pentagon Guided Tours

How to visit the pentagon on a guided tour, with tips on how to get here, where to park, and other nearby attractions..

As the headquarters of the Department of Defense for the United States, you may not think the building is open to the public.

However, with advance planning and some background checks, you can take a Pentagon Tour for you and your family.

The tour itself is FREE but advanced reservations are required.

It is 60 minutes long and you must stay with the group the entire time.

You'll find that the guide almost always walks backward for the entire tour (so he or she can keep his eyes on you!).

• How to Get Tickets
• Plan Your Visit

Tour Highlights

• Pentagon Memorial

How to Get a Pentagon Tour

Pentagon Tours must be requested in advance! You may request tickets from 14 days up to 90 days prior to the tour. .  

Tours are conducted for U.S. Citizens only on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.

The tours are free of charge and last roughly an hour.

To submit your reservation request, you will need to provide the total number of persons, your requested date and start time, and the name and phone number of the person requesting the tour.

Reserve Pentagon tours here .

If you know someone who works at the Pentagon and they have a Pentagon badge, you can take a self-guided tour of the Pentagon with them.

How to Get to the Pentagon

The Pentagon is located in Arlington VA, across the Potomac River from downtown Washington, DC, and just to the south of Arlington National Cemetery.

( NOTE: Technically, the Pentagon is located within the District of Columbia)

We recommend using this link for directions to the Pentagon from anywhere in the DC area.

The best way to reach the Pentagon is by Metro (Washington DC's subway).

The Pentagon Metro Station services both the blue and yellow lines of the DC Metro.

The security check-in for Pentagon Tours is adjacent to the Metro station exit at the Pentagon Visitor Center.  

Be sure to read our post on how to use the DC Metro system .

There are also many bus lines that service the building. 

There is no public parking at the Pentagon. We highly recommend using public transportation.

If you need to drive, you can find cheap parking at a garage at 900 Army Navy Dr.

You can pay ahead of time online for a guaranteed space in this garage with SpotHero .

It is a 10-15 minute walk to the Pentagon by crossing through the parking lot and underneath the interstate (follow signs to the Pentagon Memorial to enter the access tunnel to get to the Pentagon Parking Lot).  

Click here for directions from the parking garage at the Pentagon City Mall to the Pentagon.

*Be sure you always stay in the crosswalk and designated sidewalks as many areas of the grounds are secure!*

Security Check-in at the Pentagon

All tours begin and end at the security checkpoint just outside the Pentagon Metro entrance.

It is well-signed and the guards are very friendly in assisting you to find the correct entrance.  

What time should you arrive for the Pentagon tour?

Arrive 60 minutes prior to your scheduled time to allow for the entire group to pass through security.

What ID do you need for the Pentagon tour?

You will need to bring with you a copy of the confirmation of your tour.

Additionally, anyone in your party who is 18 years or older will need one form of proper identification which must be current and contain a photograph.

Proper forms of ID include the following:

• U.S. Passport
• U.S. Passport Card
• Driver's license or identification card issued by a State or outlying possession of the United States provided it contains a photograph and meets the REAL ID standards
• An identification card issued by Federal, State, or local government agencies, provided it contains a photograph
• U.S. Government PIV Card (CAC for DoD Personnel)
• DoD Affiliated Identification Cards (Retirees, Dependents, and Inactive Reservists)
• Native American Tribal Document
• U.S. Border Crossing Card
• Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (INS Form I-551 or I-551)
• Foreign passport with a temporary (I-551) stamp or temporary (I-551) printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa
• Foreign passport

Visitors 17 years of age or younger who are accompanied by an adult do not need identification.

Prohibited Items

• Large bags such as backpacks, camera bags, and suitcases are not allowed.
• No weapons or sharp objects permitted
• All purses are subject to search but are allowed
• Small electronic devices like cell phones, tablets, GPS devices, storage devices like flash drives, laptops, and smartwatches are not allowed.
• Photography is prohibited on Pentagon property, both inside and outside the building (with the exception of the Pentagon Memorial ).

There are no storage lockers, so be sure not to arrive with any of the prohibited items. Read the full list of prohibited items .

There is a small box where you can store small devices like phones but laptops will not fit.

Checking in for Pentagon Tours:

Once you are through the security scanners, you still have to check in! After you clear security turn left and find the Pentagon Tour Window to check in your group.

Groups that do not check in at the tour window forfeit their tour.

Pentagon Visitor Center

You will wait for your tour at the Pentagon Visitors Center.

Visitors are not permitted back into the visitors center once the tour has finished so now would be the time to visit the gift shop and restrooms.

Here you can take photos at the only place photos are permitted inside the building - at the replica Press Briefing Room podium.

Food is not permitted while on tour and the tour guide will not pause the tour for any guest to eat.

You may coordinate with Pentagon personnel who will escort you to an area where your group may eat before or after the tour.

All tours will cover the history and interesting facts pertaining to four branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps).

You may also have the opportunity to visit the indoor September 11th memorial adjacent to the crash site as well as the 9/11 Memorial Chapel.

Some tours will also visit the Hall of Heroes where all of the names of the recipients of the Medal of Honor are listed as well as an actual Medal of Honor medallion.

Tour itineraries and commentary topics are subject to change at any time.

There are no stops when you are on the tour and the tour is almost always in a walking motion.

The Pentagon Memorial

After your tour, we encourage you to walk around the building following signs to the National September 11th Pentagon Memorial to visit this thought-provoking site before you exit the grounds.

The memorial, which honors the 184 victims who died in the Pentagon or on American Airlines flight 77, is approximately 15 minutes by foot from the Pentagon Metro station where you will exit the building after the tour.

Keep in mind that photos are prohibited until you arrive at the memorial.

The memorial is open 24 hours a day and bathrooms are present though sporadically they are not open.  

Read more about the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.

Related Posts:

• How to Get White House Tickets
• How to Tour the U.S. Capitol Building
• Can I tour the FBI Building?

Choose a Destination... I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Amsterdam Berlin Boston Charleston Chicago Dubai Lisbon London Los Angeles Miami Nashville New York City New Orleans Paris Philadelphia Prague Rome San Francisco Washington DC

About The Author

Canden Arciniega

North america, united kingdom & ireland, middle east & india, asia & oceania.

Visit Washington, DC!

Hotel and travel tips for visiting Washington, DC

The Pentagon — located across the river from Washington, D.C. in Arlington, Virginia — is more than a power center assigned to the defense of the nation. It’s a small city in itself. About 23,000 military and civilian employees work here, walking 17.5 miles of corridors, drinking 4,500 cups of coffee, and making more than 200,000 telephone calls. The World War II-era building is one of the world’s largest, with three times the floor space of the Empire State Building.

So, other than smartly dressed officers, what’s there to see at the Pentagon? Once you make a reservation through the office of your Congressional representative, our nation’s finest will escort you on a 60-minute tour that highlights significant moments in military history. Visitors can view the September 11 crash site and memorial; the Hall of Heroes, which lists all recipients of the Medal of Honor; and a display on the role of Native Americans in the U.S. military. Three sections of the dismantled Berlin Wall are also on view.

Make sure you’ve got your walking shoes on; the tour covers 1.5 miles at a brisk pace.

Travel Tips

If you’re not part of a formal group of at least five people, you’ll need to call or write your Congressional representative to request a Pentagon tour. Visit  www.house.gov or  www.senate.gov to find contact information for your local Representative or Senator. Non-U.S. citizens must contact their embassy in Washington, D.C.

Group tours are available for groups of five or more people affiliated with an educational institution, government agency, church, scout troop, or military unit. Reservations for group tours must be made at least two weeks in advance. See web site for details.

For more, visit:  https://pentagontours.osd.mil/overview.jsp

September 5, 2023 at 3:54 pm

I’ve always wanted to visit.

September 3, 2023 at 9:08 pm

Do I have to do the website for a tour or get in touch with my rep if it’s only 2 people. It let me put in info but then I read the website for requests are only for groups of 5 or more

April 6, 2016 at 10:17 am

Can we carry backpacks on the tour or is there a place to secure them during the tour? Our family will be traveling the East Coast in June and will really have no place for our backpacks.

June 3, 2013 at 1:16 am

My wife, stepson and I were not able to get a tour scheduled. Is it possible to visit the Pentagon outside and if so what points of interest are available for sightseeing and/or pictures?

June 3, 2013 at 5:06 pm

All visits to the Pentagon require a reservation for a tour. Also, there is no public parking at the Pentagon. See https://pentagontours.osd.mil/ for more information.

December 7, 2011 at 3:49 pm

Any information regarding the Army/Navy Spirit Rally on Friday, 12/9/2011 would be appreciated. May civilian parents of cadets attend, if the rally is outside the Pentagon building? I understand that we will not be able to enter the Pentagon for this event. Thank you and God Bless.

December 7, 2011 at 8:41 pm

I cannot find any details on who is allowed at the event. However, I am aware that it is scheduled for Friday morning at 11:15 a.m. Other game details can be found here .

July 8, 2011 at 7:24 pm

Hi, I am a little confused. Some things written above seem to indicate the Pentagon offers public tours M-F btn 9 and 3. Other comments indicate I can’t tour without having gone through Canada’s Embassy in Washington DC. It will just be my husband and I wanting a tour, so we are not part of a group. Please let me know exactly what I need to do in order to get a tour of the Pentagon. Thank you, Michelle

July 8, 2011 at 7:58 pm

According to the Pentagon web site, all tours require a reservation. If you are not a part of a group, you can make a reservation on the Pentagon web site tours page. U.S. Residents can also reserve a tour by contacting their Congressional or Senate Representative.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Make a gift to PBS News Hour and your donation will be doubled !

Support Intelligent, In-Depth, Trustworthy Journalism.

Associated Press Associated Press

News Desk News Desk

Leave your feedback

• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-pentagon-holds-news-briefing-as-natos-stoltenberg-visits-u-s

WATCH LIVE: Pentagon holds news briefing as NATO’s Stoltenberg visits U.S.

Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder will hold a news briefing as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visits the United States.

The event is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET. Watch in the player above.

On Monday, Stoltenberg met at the White House with President Joe Biden. The U.S. president said the NATO alliance has become “larger, stronger and more united than it’s ever been” during Stoltenberg’s tenure.

Biden spoke affectionately of Stoltenberg, calling him “pal” and saying he wished that Stoltenberg, who has been NATO’s secretary general since 2014, could serve another term when the current one expires in October.

“Together, we’ve deterred further Russian aggression in Europe,” Biden said. “We’ve strengthened NATO’s eastern flank ,making it clear that we’ll defend every single inch of NATO territory.”

Stoltenberg noted that allies were buying more military equipment from the U.S. “So NATO is good for U.S. security, but NATO is also good for U.S. jobs.” he said.

NATO members agreed last year to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. The surge in spending reflects the worries about the war in Ukraine.

Poland, at more than 4%, and tiny Estonia both lead the United States this year in the percentage of their GDP they spend on defense. Both countries border Russia.

Defense spending across European allies and Canada was up nearly 18% this year alone, the biggest increase in decades, according to NATO’s estimated figures released Monday.

Some countries also are concerned about the possible reelection of former President Donald Trump, who has characterized many NATO allies as freeloading on U.S. military spending and said on the campaign trail that he would not defend NATO members that don’t meet defense spending targets.

“Shifting U.S. administrations have had the absolutely valid point to say that U.S. allies are spending too little,” Stoltenberg told reporters. “The good news is that’s changing.”

Stoltenberg’s visit is laying the groundwork for what’s expected to be a pivotal summit of NATO leaders in Washington next month. The mutual-defense alliance has grown in strength and size since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago, with both Sweden and Finland joining.

Support Provided By: Learn more

Support PBS News:

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.

The Daily Show Fan Page

Explore the latest interviews, correspondent coverage, best-of moments and more from The Daily Show.

Extended Interviews

The Daily Show Tickets

Attend a Live Taping

Find out how you can see The Daily Show live and in-person as a member of the studio audience.

Best of Jon Stewart

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

New Episodes Thursdays

Jon Stewart and special guests tackle complex issues.

Powerful Politicos

The Daily Show Shop

Great Things Are in Store

Become the proud owner of exclusive gear, including clothing, drinkware and must-have accessories.

About The Daily Show

Middle East Crisis The Next Phase of Israel’s War on Hamas May Shift Focus to Hezbollah

• Share full article

• Rubble from an Israeli bombardment in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Eyad Baba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• Mourners at the funeral for a Palestinian ambulance official killed in an Israeli strike. Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
• Smoke rising over the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel. Amir Levy/Getty Images
• An Israeli helicopter releasing flares over Rafah. Bashar Taleb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• A funeral in Jerusalem for an Israeli soldier killed in battle. Eloisa Lopez/Reuters

Follow news updates on the crisis in the Middle East .

News analysis

4 scenarios for the next phase in the war, with ‘intense’ fighting set to end.

Israel’s prime minister says the war in the Gaza Strip will soon enter a new phase.

“The intense stage of the war with Hamas is about to end,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a television interview on Sunday. “This does not mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end.”

But whatever relief those comments may bring after more than half a year of horrific bloodshed, Mr. Netanyahu quickly made two things clear: A cease-fire in Gaza is not at hand. And the next fight might be in Lebanon, with the forces of a Hamas ally, Hezbollah.

After drawing down troops in Gaza, he said, “We will be able to move part of our forces to the north.”

Mr. Netanyahu stopped well short of announcing an invasion of Lebanon, a move that would likely result in heavy Israeli and Lebanese losses, and instead left open the door for a diplomatic resolution with Hezbollah.

Any diplomatic resolution in Gaza remains uncertain, in part because Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition would likely collapse if Israel stopped fighting in Gaza without having removed Hamas from power.

Still, the prime minister appeared to be signaling that Israel, after finishing its current military operation in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, will not seek to mount major ground invasions of cities in central Gaza, the only area of the territory where the Israeli military has not carried out such attacks.

While Israeli leaders have said since January that they were transitioning to a lower-intensity war, the end of the Rafah operation might allow for the completion of that process.

The remarks from Mr. Netanyahu, and recent comments by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was in Washington on Monday, indicated that the focus of Israel’s political discourse and strategic planning is shifting to its northern border with Lebanon.

In a statement on Monday, Mr. Gallant’s office said that he had discussed with American officials “the transition to ‘Phase C’ in Gaza and its impact on the region, including vis-à-vis Lebanon and other areas.”

Early in the war, Mr. Gallant outlined a three-phase battle plan that included intense airstrikes against Hamas targets and infrastructure; a period of ground operations aimed at “eliminating pockets of resistance”; and a third phase, or Phase C, that would create “a new security reality for the citizens of Israel.”

Since October, Israel has been fighting a low-level conflict with Hezbollah that has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border. But the fighting has been overshadowed by the larger war in Gaza.

The shift in rhetoric over the weekend could be the harbinger of a major escalation between Hezbollah and Israel.

Israeli officials have been warning for months that they may invade Lebanon if Hezbollah, a powerful Iranian-backed militia that dominates southern Lebanon, does not withdraw its forces from near its border. Hezbollah has also threatened to invade Israel.

But a diminution in the fighting in Gaza could also end up creating space for a de-escalation of the hostilities at the Lebanese border. Hezbollah joined the fight in October in solidarity with Hamas, and its leadership has indicated that it could wind down its campaign if the war in Gaza ebbs.

Here are four ways the shift in Israel’s stance in Gaza may play out.

1. Raids in Gaza, but smaller ones

Once the Israeli campaign in Rafah ends in the coming weeks, the military is expected to focus on hostage-rescue operations across the Gaza Strip, like the one that rescued four Israelis in early June and killed scores of Palestinians.

Military officials also say they will continue to briefly raid neighborhoods they captured during earlier phases of the war, to prevent Hamas fighters from regaining too much strength in those areas.

Templates for that kind of operation include Israel’s return to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City in March, four months after first raiding it, or its three-week operation in May in Jabaliya , which Israeli forces also first captured in November.

2. A Gaza power vacuum

By withdrawing from much of Gaza without ceding power to an alternative Palestinian leadership, Israel might essentially allow Hamas’s leaders to retain their dominance over the ruined enclave, at least for now.

It is possible that if it raided Gaza regularly, the Israeli military could prevent Hamas from returning to its former strength — but that would prolong a power vacuum in which large clans and gangs compete with Hamas for influence. That vacuum would make it even harder to rebuild Gaza, distribute aid and alleviate civilian suffering.

Israel is expected to retain control of Gaza’s border with Egypt, to deter arms smuggling there. It is also expected to continue to occupy a strip of land that separates northern and southern Gaza, preventing free movement between the two areas.

3. War with Hezbollah, or de-escalation

By moving more troops to its northern border, Israel’s military would be better placed to invade Lebanon so it can force Hezbollah’s fighters farther away from Israeli territory.

But a buildup of troops there could provoke more rocket strikes from Hezbollah, increasing the likelihood of a miscalculation that could spiral into all-out war. Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, warned last week that the group could invade Israel, and the risk of escalation appears closer than it has in months.

At the same time, Israel’s declaration that it is moving into a new phase in Gaza could also provide a context for de-escalation. Less fighting in Gaza could give Hezbollah an off-ramp. In February, Mr. Nasrallah said that his group would stop firing “when the shooting stops in Gaza.”

A period of relative calm along the Lebanon border might also prompt displaced Israelis to return home. That in turn would ease pressure on the Israeli government to take firmer action against Hezbollah. One of the main reasons Israeli leaders considered invading Lebanon was to create conditions in which displaced Israelis could be convinced to return home.

4. Continued tensions with the Biden administration

By announcing a drawdown in Gaza, Mr. Netanyahu reduced one source of friction with President Biden, but maintained others.

Mr. Biden has criticized Israel’s conduct of the war, even as his administration continues to fund Israel and supply it with arms. A less destructive war in Gaza will offer less opportunity for arguments with Washington over Israeli military strategy.

But Mr. Netanyahu’s refusal to articulate a clear plan for postwar governance of Gaza, as well as the lingering possibility of an Israeli invasion of Lebanon, leaves ample opportunity for disagreement with Washington.

The Biden administration wants the fighting with Hezbollah to end, and it has pressed Mr. Netanyahu for months to empower an alternative Palestinian leadership in Gaza. But Mr. Netanyahu has kept Gaza’s future vague, amid pressure from his right-wing coalition partners to occupy and resettle the territory with Israelis.

— Patrick Kingsley reporting from Jerusalem

Key Developments

An Israeli panel issues a warning to Netanyahu in a corruption case, and other news.

An Israeli government panel issued warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and four others on Monday as part of a yearslong inquiry into a multibillion-dollar purchase of submarines and missile boats from Germany, an episode regarded as the worst corruption scandal in the country’s history . In a statement, the panel said that Mr. Netanyahu had endangered Israel’s security and bypassed official channels with the purchase, during a previous term as prime minister. It was not clear if Mr. Netanyahu himself was suspected of corruption in the case, but the panel said it issued the warning to give him and the others — including a former defense minister and a former head of Mossad — the opportunity to respond. The prime minister defended himself, saying in a statement from his office that the submarines were “a central pillar of Israel’s national security.”

Mr. Netanyahu reaffirmed his support for a cease-fire proposal endorsed by the United States and the United Nations Security Council, a day after sending mixed messages. “We are committed to the Israeli proposal, which President Biden has welcomed,” Mr. Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset. “Our position has not changed.” He also repeated his longstanding position that Israel would not stop the war until Hamas was eliminated, and added that there was no contradiction with the proposal, a three-phase plan meant to lead to a sustainable peace. His remarks came a day after an interview on Israeli television in which he suggested that he was willing to strike a “partial” deal for the return of only some of the hostages before resuming the war, which quickly prompted criticism within Israel.

Lebanon’s government said on Monday that the Hezbollah militia had not stored weapons or ammunition at the main airport in Beirut. The denial, by the transport minister, Ali Hamieh, came during a tour of Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport for journalists and diplomats intended to show that there were no weapons hidden there. Whistleblowers at the airport had told a British newspaper, The Telegraph, that they were concerned about weapons arriving on direct flights from Iran. Hezbollah and Israel have engaged in a series of cross-border strikes in recent months, raising fears of a war.

Israel’s top military official said the destruction of Hamas’s brigade in the city of Rafah was nearly complete. “We are clearly approaching the point where we can say we have dismantled the Rafah brigade,” Herzi Halevi, the military’s chief of staff, said in a briefing late on Sunday. He said that Hamas’s organization in Rafah “is defeated not in the sense that there are no more terrorists, but in the sense that it can no longer function as a fighting unit.” He said the Israel had killed numerous Hamas fighters, destroyed tunnels and secured a strip of land running from Israel’s border to the sea. Israel began its operation in Rafah in early May, forcing more than a million civilians to flee the city.

Israeli forces struck a traffic roundabout near the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing at least seven people and injuring nearly two dozen, local health officials said. Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, said at least three people were also killed near Gaza City in the north, after Israeli strikes killed dozens of people there over the weekend .

The Israeli military confirmed the death of a soldier who disappeared on Oct. 7. Military officials said in a statement that Sgt. Maj. Muhammad El Atrash, a soldier in the Bedouin Trackers Unit in the Northern Brigade of the Gaza Division, had been killed in combat and that his body was being held in Gaza. Members of his family told Israeli media in December that he was last heard from at Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, the day of the Hamas-led attack that set off the war. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the relatives of those captured in the attack, acknowledged his death in a statement “with a heavy heart.” About 120 hostages are being held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials, and more than a third are believed to be dead.

Yoav Gallant meets with U.S. officials in Washington.

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, met with two senior Biden administration officials in Washington on Monday — the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken — as the United States sought a clear plan for postwar Gaza and hoped to head off an Israeli miliary push in Lebanon.

Mr. Gallant’s visit — which was set to continue with two more days of meetings — comes at a crucial time for Israel and the war in Gaza. The future of a cease-fire agreement that would release the hostages is unclear, worries about intensified fighting between Hezbollah and Israel are increasing, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the intensive phase of Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip was “about to end.”

Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Department, said topics discussed by Mr. Blinken and Mr. Gallant included the stalled cease-fire negotiations, next steps for governance and security in Gaza after a deal was reached, and the importance of those efforts to Israel’s security. Mr. Blinken also emphasized importance of avoiding an escalating conflict at its northern border — across which Hezbollah and Israeli forces have increasingly traded fire in recent weeks, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Mr. Gallant is scheduled to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on Tuesday and with President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, on Wednesday.

Early in the war, Mr. Gallant publicly outlined a three-phase battle plan for Gaza that included intense airstrikes against Hamas targets and infrastructure; a period of ground operations aimed at “eliminating pockets of resistance”; and a third phase that would create “a new security reality for the citizens of Israel.” He said over the weekend that his meetings in Washington would feature discussion of “the transition to ‘Phase C’ in Gaza.”

On Monday, Mr. Netanyahu reaffirmed his support for a cease-fire proposal endorsed by the United States and the United Nations Security Council, a day after sending mixed messages about how his government expected the war to end in the same interview in which he discussed the war entering a new phase.

“We are committed to the Israeli proposal, which President Biden has welcomed. Our position has not changed,” Mr. Netanyahu said Monday in an address to Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset.

His remarks came after an interview on Israeli television on Sunday night in which he suggested that he was willing to strike a “partial” deal for the return of only some of the hostages before resuming the war, which quickly prompted criticism from within Israel and which Mr. Netanyahu’s office soon walked back. (During a briefing Monday afternoon, Mr. Miller, the State Department spokesman, said Mr. Netanyahu had misspoken during the interview, and noted that he subsequently clarified his position.)

A key question remains about an evolution in the fighting in Gaza: how that could affect Israel’s dealings with Hezbollah, a powerful militia and Lebanese political faction that is, like Hamas, backed by Iran.

In the interview on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu said that after drawing down troops in Gaza, Israel would “be able to move part of our forces to the north” — a reference to the embattled border area with Lebanon where Israeli forces and Hezbollah are exchanging fire.

The two conflicts are intertwined: Hezbollah began the current series of cross-border strikes into northern Israel in support of Hamas after Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Escalating fire across the Israel-Lebanon border in recent weeks has been stoking fears that the fighting could grow into all-out war.

The first meeting Mr. Gallant had on his trip came Sunday with Amos Hochstein, a Biden adviser who has overseen previous talks between Israel and Lebanon. Mr. Hochstein had met with Mr. Netanyahu in Jerusalem and with Lebanese officials in Beirut a week earlier, as the Israeli military warned that Hezbollah’s cross-border strikes against Israel risked a wider confrontation.

Johnatan Reiss and Ephrat Livni contributed reporting.

— Michael Crowley ,  Julian E. Barnes and Mike Ives

An Israeli strike kills the coordinator of ambulance services in Gaza, health officials say.

A senior official in charge of coordinating ambulance movements in Gaza was killed by an Israeli strike, the health ministry in the enclave said in a statement on Monday.

The official, Hani al-Jafarawi, the director of ambulance and emergency services in Gaza, was killed in a strike on a health clinic in Gaza City, the ministry said.

The Israeli military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It said earlier on Monday that it had killed a man named Muhammad Salah, whom it called a Hamas operative, in Gaza City on Sunday night. It was not clear if the two men were killed in the same strike.

Hundreds of health care workers in Gaza have been killed by Israel’s pulverizing bombing campaign or been caught in the middle of ground combat between the Israeli military and Hamas, according to the ministry.

In an interview, Yousef Abu al-Rish, the deputy minister of the health ministry, said Mr. Jafarawi had relocated to a clinic in Gaza City months ago after an Israeli raid left Al-Shifa Hospital, his previous base of operations, in ruins.

Mr. Abu al-Rish, the most senior health ministry official in Gaza, said Mr. Jafarawi coordinated the transfer of wounded people from the field to hospitals, as well as between hospitals. He had been responsible for doing that work across Gaza, but after Israeli forces divided the enclave in half, he focused on the northern part of the territory.

Mr. Abu al-Rish said a replacement would be named, but predicted that the person would not have the same expertise and contacts.

On Monday, the Israeli military said the Air Force had killed Mr. Salah, the Hamas militant, in Gaza City. It said he was “part of a project to develop strategic weaponry for the Hamas terrorist organization.”

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of exploiting hospital grounds and other civilian infrastructure for military purposes. The militant group has denied the allegation, even though in November the Israeli military revealed a stone-and-concrete tunnel shaft below Al-Shifa. At the time, the health ministry said the military’s raid put the hospital out of service.

— Adam Rasgon reporting from Jerusalem

Austin and Gallant meet as attacks intensify across Israel’s border with Lebanon.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, were meeting on Tuesday in Washington to discuss the war with Hamas in Gaza and to address the intensifying conflict along Israel’s border with Lebanon.

Mr. Gallant’s last visit to the Pentagon was in March , and Mr. Austin has visited Israel twice since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack set off the war in Gaza. “And you and I have spoken by phone more times than I can count,” Mr. Austin told Mr. Gallant in opening remarks that emphasized American support for Israel.

Since Mr. Gallant’s last visit to Washington, the United States has helped defend Israel against an “unprecedented” Iranian attack in April, President Biden signed legislation with more than $14 billion in assistance for Israel, and the United States helped to open new routes to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including constructing a temporary pier for aid delivery off the coast of Gaza, Mr. Austin said.

Mr. Austin also noted that Israel still faces a “very real and very dangerous threat from Iran” and “from its terrorist partners and proxies” including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas. “The United States will always support Israel’s right to defend itself, and the United States will always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself,” Mr. Austin said.

But Mr. Austin also stressed that “another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war with terrible consequences for the Middle East, and so diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation.”

Mr. Gallant, in his opening remarks, called Iran “the greatest threat to the future of the world and the future of our region,” and warned that “time is running out” to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Mr. Gallant also did not rule out the possibility of escalating conflict at Israel’s norther border with Lebanon, following weeks of intensifying hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. “We are working closely together to achieve an agreement, but we must also discuss readiness for every possible scenario,” Mr. Gallant said.

Mr. Gallant met with Mr. Austin on his third day of talks with senior Biden administration officials. Days before, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared that the intensive phase of fighting in Gaza was nearing an end and indicated that Israel was preparing to turn its focus to the threat from Hezbollah. The United States is seeking to prevent those tensions along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon from becoming another full-fledged war.

Mr. Gallant met with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in Washington on Monday, and they discussed stalled cease-fire negotiations with Hamas, next steps for governance and security in Gaza, and the importance of those efforts to Israel’s security, a state department spokesman said. Mr. Blinken also emphasized the importance of keeping the conflict with Hezbollah from escalating further.

The Israeli defense minister began his meetings in Washington on Sunday, sitting down with Amos Hochstein, a Biden adviser who has overseen previous talks between Israel and Lebanon. A week earlier Mr. Hochstein met with Mr. Netanyahu in Jerusalem and with Lebanese officials in Beirut, as the Israeli military warned that Hezbollah’s cross-border strikes against Israel risked a wider confrontation.

On Monday, Mr. Gallant also met with William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to meet with President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.

— Ephrat Livni

Advertisement

Official websites use .gov

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

Pentagon Tours Security

• Tour Details

Arrival and Check-In

You must arrive at the Pentagon Visitor Entrance 60 minutes before your scheduled tour to allow time for processing through building security. All visitors must pass through a security scanning device similar to those found at airport security checkpoints.

Your tour may be canceled if your group has not processed through security and checked in at the Pentagon Tours window inside the Pentagon Visitor Center prior to your scheduled tour time. Click here for more information about getting here.

Identification

All visitors 18 years of age or older will be required to present a valid government-issued photo identification or passport when they arrive at the Pentagon. For a list of valid forms of identification needed for Pentagon access, visit the following link: Acceptable ID List

• U.S. Passport
• U.S. Passport Card
• Driver's license or identification card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States, provided it contains a photograph and meets the REAL ID standards
• Identification card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies, provided it contains a photograph
• U.S. Government Personal Identity Verification, Common Access Card
• DOD Affiliated Identification Cards (Retirees, Dependents, and Inactive Reservists)
• Native American Tribal Document
• U.S. Border Crossing Card
• Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (INS Form I-551 or I-551)
• Foreign passport with a temporary (I-551) stamp or temporary (I-551) printed notation on a machine readable immigrant visa
• Foreign passport

NOTE: Visitors 17 years of age and under do not require identification to enter the Pentagon to participate in a Pentagon tour when accompanied by an adult member of the tour.

Confirmation Email

In addition to required identification, all adult members of your tour group must present a copy of their tour confirmation email when they arrive at the Pentagon.

Purses and Bags

All purses and bags carried into the Pentagon are subject to search.

The use of cameras or other visual recording devices on the Pentagon Reservation is prohibited.

Prohibited Items

The following items are prohibited inside the building : Items that may cause bodily harm (mace, knives, box cutters, pepper spray, etc.) and large bags (i.e., knapsacks, camera bags, backpacks and shopping bags, etc.). Anyone with those items will not be allowed on the tour.

Prohibited Along the Tour

Personal electronic devices are not permitted on Pentagon tours : Prohibited electronic devices include but are not limited to cellphones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, audio recording devices, cameras, storage devices/flash drives, scanners, headphones, virtual reality devices, transmitters and GPS devices.

As a convenience, small lockboxes are available for cellphone and smartwatch storage during your tour. However, laptops, cameras or other large electronic devices must not be brought with you to the Pentagon. The Department of Defense is not responsible for the damage or loss of personal property stored in convenience lockboxes during tours.

Tour groups must keep up with the tour pace, remain with the tour group at all times, and follow the tour guide's instructions to allow Pentagon personnel to pass by on either side.

Any violation of these security measures will cause the tour to be terminated.

Defense.gov

Helpful links.

• Live Events
• Today in DOD
• For the Media
• DOD Resources
• DOD Careers
• Help Center
• DOD / Military Websites
• Agency Financial Report
• Value of Service
• Taking Care of Our People
• FY 2025 Defense Budget
• National Defense Strategy

The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security.