The Rock Island Arsenal invites visitors to honor the Nation’s fallen over the Memorial Day weekend, but with a few restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors must enter and depart through the Moline Gate. Everyone over the age of 16 must have a valid ID. Those without a visitor’s pass can obtain one from the Visitor Control Center which will be open from 8am to 8pm from Saturday through Monday. It will return to normal hours of operation on Tuesday, May 26.
A maximum of six visitors per vehicle will be allowed, although families with more than six members who reside together will be allowed on to access the National Cemetery. Groups will be limited to no more than ten people anywhere on Arsenal Island, including the Cemetery.
The Cemetery will be open to visitors from 8am to 8pm throughout the Memorial Day weekend. This will allow visitors to come when they want, and not face crowds, especially on Memorial Day.
Flowers, flags, and other items of respect can be brought to mark graves of their loved ones. In addition, visitors can “adopt a troop” and mark a grave of their choosing. Rock Island National Cemetery will not mark graves this year, or issue flags to mark individual grave sites.
The National Cemetery Administration has developed an on-line memorial feature that allows anyone to pay tribute to Veterans interred in all of the national cemeteries at this website.
The Rock Island Museum and Lock and Dam 15 Visitor Center will remain closed.
