Skip to main content

Veterans Day 2025: Free activities and freebies for those who served

Veterans Day, the national holiday on which we honor those who have served the country in the military, is on Tuesday.

There are many free activities and offers available to veterans around the D.C. area.

See the list below:

  • National Park Service sites that normally charge admission will be free to enter on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Be aware: Some sites are closed because of the government shutdown.
  • Military members can go to Mount Vernon for free on Veterans Day, with tickets picked up in person.
  • All military members and members of the National Guard will receive free transit rides on Maryland’s buses and trains on Tuesday, just by presenting a military ID or driver’s license with the veteran designation.
  • On Sunday, Nov. 9, military personnel can skate for free from 12-2 p.m. at Cabin John Ice Rink and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wheaton Ice Arena, both in Maryland.
  • Visit the Glenstone museum in Potomac, Maryland, through Sunday for nightly projections on its stone walls by artist Jenny Holzer. Active military members and veterans can get free walk-up entry to the museum.

A whole bunch of restaurants and retailers are offering freebies for Veterans Day:

WTOP’s Ciara Wells and Michelle Basch contributed to this report.

Virginia voter guide: Ballot asks voters about Democratic effort to redraw congressional map

A referendum that would temporarily allow Democratic lawmakers to redraw Virginia's congressional map is moving ahead as legal challenges to the redistricting effort play out in court. More than one million early votes have been cast ahead of Tuesday's special election on the redistricting plan.
Read Next Story