Can You Go Inside the Pentagon? Booking, Security, and Access

Yes, you can take a Pentagon tour, but only if you book ahead through the official reservation portal and clear a background check. Tours are free, run on weekdays, and last about 60 minutes over a 1.5-mile walk led by an active-duty service member. They are currently limited to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, and every adult in your group has to register individually at least seven days before the visit.

Who Qualifies

Tours are restricted to U.S. persons, meaning U.S. citizens and individuals admitted for permanent residence.¹ Every adult in your party must meet that requirement. Foreign tourists and visitors on temporary visas are not eligible, which catches many people planning a Washington, D.C. trip off guard.

Every visitor 18 and older must present a REAL ID-compliant photo credential at the visitor entrance. A standard state driver’s license that doesn’t meet REAL ID standards is no longer accepted.² If your license lacks the gold star, bring a U.S. passport, passport card, permanent resident card, or an enhanced driver’s license instead.³ Children 17 and under don’t need identification as long as they’re with an adult who has valid ID.⁴

How to Book

All reservations go through the official Pentagon Tour Reservation Portal, run by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.¹ The booking window is 14 to 90 days before your preferred date.⁵ Popular dates fill fast during peak tourism months, so book near the 90-day mark if you can.

Once you submit the reservation, every adult in the group gets an automated email with a link to an online visitor registration form. That form asks for full name, date of birth, and Social Security number; a driver’s license number is optional. Each adult must complete registration at least seven days before the tour or risk being denied entry.¹ That’s the background check step, and there is no way to speed it up at the door.

There is no admission fee. Tours are closed on federal holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.⁶

Getting There

Take the Metro. The Pentagon has its own station on the Blue and Yellow lines, and the visitor entrance is right at the Metro exit.² Driving is a poor option: there is no public parking on the Pentagon Reservation for tour visitors. The nearest paid garage is at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, which adds a walk to your trip.⁵ Rideshare or taxi is a better fallback than driving yourself.

Arrival and Security

Arrive at the Pentagon Visitor Entrance at least 60 minutes before your scheduled tour time.⁷ Staff verify identification against the approved reservation list, then send you through advanced imaging technology and walk-through metal detectors. All bags and purses are searched.²

Bags

Large bags are not allowed inside the Pentagon, and there is no storage on site. Backpacks, camera bags, and shopping bags will get you turned away.⁸ Small purses are permitted but subject to search. Leave anything bulky at your hotel.

Electronics

This rule is stricter than most visitors expect. Personal electronic devices of any kind are prohibited on the tour: phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, gaming devices, cameras, headphones, GPS devices, flash drives, and audio recorders.⁸ Small lockboxes at the visitor entrance can hold a phone and smartwatch during the tour, but larger items like laptops and standalone cameras shouldn’t be brought to the Pentagon at all. The Department of War disclaims responsibility for items stored in the lockboxes.

What the Tour Covers

The route runs about 1.5 miles through corridors and staircases and lasts roughly 60 minutes, hitting around 20 topics tied to the military and the building’s history.⁷ Guides are active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen from their service’s ceremonial units.⁵ Stops include the Hall of Heroes, which honors more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients, and the America’s Heroes Memorial at the location where American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building on September 11, 2001. You stay within designated areas throughout; the route doesn’t enter operational spaces.

Photography is prohibited everywhere on the Pentagon Reservation except within the outdoor 9/11 memorial.⁹ Food and beverages are not allowed on the tour and guides don’t pause for breaks, so eat beforehand.¹⁰ Wear comfortable shoes; the corridors are hard flooring and the route includes stairs.⁷

The Pentagon has ramp access, but the tour program does not provide wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Visitors who use a wheelchair must bring their own and be accompanied by someone who can help along the route.⁷ Anyone with mobility concerns should plan for the full 1.5-mile distance and contact the tour office in advance with specific questions.

If You Can’t Get a Tour: The Outdoor 9/11 Memorial

The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is a separate outdoor park, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no reservation required.⁹ It’s the one place on the Pentagon Reservation where photography is allowed. The memorial features 184 illuminated benches, each inscribed with a victim’s name and arranged by birth year along the flight path of the plane. Five accessible parking spaces in Lane 1 of the Pentagon South Parking lot are available around the clock for visitors with valid disabled parking permits.

1
Pentagon Force Protection Agency. Pentagon Tour Reservation Portal
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Pentagon Force Protection Agency. Plan Your Visit to the Pentagon
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Department of Homeland Security. ID Requirements for Federal Facilities
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Pentagon Force Protection Agency. Examples Required Identification for Pentagon Access
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U.S. Department of War. Pentagon Tours
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays
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U.S. Department of War. Pentagon Tours – Guidelines
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U.S. Department of War. Pentagon Tours – Security
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9/11 Pentagon Memorial. Visitor Resources
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U.S. Department of War. Pentagon Tours – FAQs