Southern Arlington Tour (Self Guided), Arlington

Mount Olive Baptist Church has come a long way since its foundation in 1873 as Antioch Baptist Church. Throughout this time, it has established a tradition of Christian worship in the city. The building that hosts the present church was built in 1944 and has been home to Mount Olive Baptist for over twenty years now.

The Pentagon Memorial, located just southwest of The Pentagon in Arlington County, is a permanent outdoor memorial to the 184 men and women who lost their lives as victims of the attack, killed both in the building and on American Airlines Flight 77 in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Designed by Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman of the architectural firm of Kaseman Beckman Advanced Strategies with engineers Buro Happold, the memorial opened to the public on September 11, 2008. The Pentagon Memorial was constructed from a design by Beckman and Kaseman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with design support from Buro Happold, that was chosen following a design competition.

To honor the 184 victims, 184 illuminated benches have been arranged according to the victim's ages, starting with Dana Falkenberg, 3, to John Yamnicky Sr., 71, in a landscaped 1.93-acre plot. Each bench is engraved with the name of a victim. The benches representing the victims that were inside the Pentagon are arranged so those reading the names will face the Pentagon's south facade, where the plane hit; benches dedicated to victims aboard the plane are arranged so that those reading the engraved name will be facing skyward along the path the plane traveled. The National Park Service anticipated the memorial would attract more than 2 million visitors per year.

Pentagon Row is a shopping, entertainment, dining and nightlife area that is quite famous in the southern part of Arlington. Featuring a number of specialty shops, restaurants and bars to spend your evening, during the winter an outdoor ice skating rink is available, and during the summer you can enjoy Concert Nights and other events hosted here.

Virginia Highlands Park, a popular attraction in this part of Arlington, features facilities for tennis, basketball and baseball, many attractions for children, picnic areas, grills and a gazebo. A wonderful place for leisure and recreation, on the grounds you will also find two beautiful fountains.