Organizations/groups are encouraged to utilize the free programs and activities the Museum offers for group visits, the Museum Guide, and on-site audio tours. The Fighting for the Nation Galleries docent-led tours are free and offered to visitors daily at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. These tours can accommodate up to 10 people each and are available on first-come, first-served basis to Museum visitors. These tours are intended for the walk-in, general public, visitor and cannot be reserved in advance. Visitors may inquire about attending a docent-led tour at the Welcome Desk when they arrive at the Museum.
As the National Army Museum, the Museum is designed specifically for a meaningful visitor experience without prior preparation. Additional visitor information, organization/unit historians, interpretation, tools or guides are not necessary and are discouraged.
Museum docents provide free guided tours at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. daily for up to 10 visitors total on a first-come, first-served basis. These tours visit the Fighting for the Nation Galleries for approximately 50 minutes. Free audio tours are also available to visitors in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. Check out a free audio tour at the Welcome Desk with a government issued photo ID.
Leaders/group organizers are encouraged to address their group outside the Museum when they arrive or depart, such as at the outdoor plaza area. Leaders/group organizers are reminded that the Museum is open to the public and remarks for their group may not be suitable for the general public visitor experience.
The Army Theater provides visitors with an immersive introduction to the U.S. Army and to the Museum. “Of Noble Deeds” is a free 12-minute film that runs throughout the day and does not require an additional ticket. Also, the Programs and Education department offers free public programs suitable for groups, such as, Operation Safe Passage and history talks. These programs are approximately one-hour long and free of charge. More information on public programs for Military Group Programs can be found here. Groups may inquire about reserving these programs through the Group Tickets online request process.
Drop-in or “pop-up” events are not permitted anywhere (indoors or outdoors) on the Museum Campus. All events must be scheduled and approved in advance via the online special event request form. Through a lease agreement with the Army, the Army Historical Foundation is responsible for managing all elements of special event management and catering as revenue generating operations. Event requests officially begin when the customer submits an online Event Inquiry Form here.
Yes. Conferences; events requiring “business center” type space, services or support; events requiring “breakout” rooms or spaces; events requiring multiple rooms or spaces simultaneously; funerals or memorial services; and outdoor exercises and training. Please see the Military Special Event page or Military Meetings page for more information.
You are welcome to explore the Museum as a visitor daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with free, timed-entry tickets. Please use the designated online path to request your group tickets or a special event request and communicate with the designated staff POC for more information. Museum Welcome Desk staff and Volunteers are not the appropriate representatives to provide information about group ticket or special event reservations and should not be asked to support a RECON or an information-gathering visit. Information gathered outside of the group visit and special event request process, and apart from the designated Museum POC, is not valid information for your planning.
Outside food and drink are not permitted inside the Museum. The Museum Café is open during the visitor day and offers a variety of menu options. Catering services offer boxed lunch options for groups, as well as special event catering menus.
While on the Museum Campus, permissions for photography, videography, command messaging — and anything beyond standard visitor/tourist photography — should be coordinated with, and approved by the Museum public affairs officer prior to the visit.
No CAC or military affiliation is required for access. The Museum is open to the public via free timed-entry tickets.
There is no fee for hosting a MME within the Museum’s Military Milestone Event and with a signed/approved User Agreement.
An MME includes a designated space in the Museum Lobby to perform a military ceremony as defined by the Museum’s MME guidelines. MMEs are scheduled Monday through Friday, for one of three time slots 09:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m.. Time is limited to 15 minutes, from start to finish. The MME host will be provided 30 general admission tickets to provide their guests in preparation of the visit. After the ceremony, attendees are welcomed to explore the Museum at their own pace during regular Museum hours.
No. MMEs are intentionally limited in scope and designed for consistency regardless of rank or seniority of the host or participants. Ceremonies with receptions will require a special events reservation.
Live broadcast of the MME, such as Facebook live, is allowed during the ceremony only and must be managed by the event host’s designated attendee.
Hosts are welcome to provide party favors to their attendees as long as they are not items on the prohibited items list, this includes all food items and fresh flowers. The host is responsible for managing their party favors. Museum staff will not hold or store items for visitors.
Private docent tours are not available. Docent-led tours are on a first-come first-served basis and information and schedules are available at the Welcome Desk.
The Lobby is the designated space for MMEs. Ceremonies and events are not permitted in Museum galleries.
The Museum does offer private event spaces that may be reserved at a cost through the Army Historical Foundation.
One U.S. Flag will be positioned on the left side of the Campaign Wall by Museum Staff. MMEs do NOT provide, or permit, the use of additional flags, podium, microphone/speaker or an award table.
MMEs do not include the use of flags, including GO flags. It is the host’s responsibility to provide this information to the GO’s staff. It is also the host’s responsibility to greet GOs or distinguished guests attending the MME.
MME’s are limited to 30 people total present at the ceremony. Exceeding the 30-person limit would be a violation of the User Agreement and may not be accommodated.
MMEs are intentionally limited in scope and designed for consistency regardless of rank or seniority of the host or participants. Ceremony requests that fall outside of the MME guidelines will be referred the Army Historical Foundation to explore a special event reservation in lieu of an MME reservation.
No outside food, including cakes/cupcakes, is allowed to enter the Museum. MMEs include only the ceremony. This format does not include space or time for a reception or cake cutting.
Please indicate if your group includes a distinguished visitor by providing information under “Additional Comments or Questions” or “Event Description” when submitting your group ticketing or event inquiry request. Distinguished Visitors (DVs) are Code 1-6 as defined by the Department of the Army Protocol Precedence List.
Yes, please see Directions and Parking for more information.
General admission tickets to the Museum are free and must be reserved in advance. General admission tickets include access to all exhibits, the Experiential Learning Center, and the Army Theater. There is a fee for the Army Action Center’s virtual reality and motion theater experiences which interested visitors may purchase online or in person at the Museum.
No. The Museum is open to the public with a free General-admission ticket. The Museum is located on a publicly accessible area of Fort Belvoir. Government issued ID cards, military IDs, and/or Fort Belvoir visitor passes are not required to gain entry. Please reserve your free timed-entry tickets prior to your visit.
Please bring your printed tickets or readily available on a mobile device.
Visit these pages on our website for COVID visitor information and a complete list of policies and prohibited items.
The Museum is accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Museum also offers a variety of devices and tools to accommodate the needs of all visitors. For more detailed information, please visit Accessibility and Accommodations and ask a Museum volunteer for assistance.
Audio tours and transcripts are available at the Welcome Desk. The tours are available in Spanish (Español), French (Français), Italian (Italiano), German (Deutsche), Portuguese (Português), Mandarin Chinese (普通话), Japanese (日本語), Korean (한국어), and Arabic (عربى).
The Museum Café offers a variety of options. Learn more about the Museum Café and the health and safety measures in place, including distanced seating, enhanced cleaning and self-service options, and their customize app.
Please note: outside food and drink are not permitted in the Museum.
Yes, the Museum Store is open during visitor hours and also offers an online store. Learn more about the Museum Store.
