Netherlands Carillon

Just a short walk from my hotel, this memorial was a pleasant surprise near the United States Marine Corps War Memorial.
Paid for with donations from all over the Netherlands, the carillon houses 50 bells that were given to the U. S as a gift of friendship from the people of the Netherlands to the people of the United States in gratitude for American aid during and after World War II.
The largest bell is 6 feet, 9 inches in diameter and weighs 12,654 pounds. The smallest bell is 8 inches in diameter and weighs 35 pounds.
Eighteen bells of the carillon are programmed to play a medley of songs at noon and 6pm daily. Carillonneurs give free concerts on Saturdays from late May through September.
After the annual tulip blooms each spring, 5,400 other flowers are planted in the beds surrounding the memorial, making for a most pleasant visit.

This is an ugly tower, but it’s nice free entertainment to take a break on the grounds at noon and listen to the 10-​minute concert in view of the DC monuments, Arlington National Cemetary, and the Capitol. I can’t think of a better view in the region.

In between Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery you’ll find Netherlands Carillon. It’s not the most maginificent thing you’ll see but the view from here is wonderful! You’ll see locals running and tourists just soaking in the view of Washington. It’s beautiful in the fall as you’ll see leaves of different colors.
It was a gift from the Netherlands — so, you can’t really complain how simple it looks. On both sides of the bell tower is a lion overlooking a field of tulips which we didn’t see — they’ll probably bloom in spring.

I think this bell tower and park is seriously underrated. I love coming here on a nice weekend afternoon. During the summer, it is a perfect place to run — right in-​between the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Arlington Cemetery — and the park in front of it is seriously beautiful. You get a lovely view of the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol right across the river and the forestry is gorgeous at any time of the year.

You would think that a country capable of having once been an economic power in part due to tulips, could come up with something more attractive than this ugly black bell tower next to Iwo Jima. Couldn’t they just have sent us a massive memorial hash bar filled with legal prostitutes and cases of Becks?
I’ve never heard the bells actually play here, but it is a pretty solemn spot early in the morning when I pass through with primo views of DC when the haze isn’t too thick.
It is easily accessible by foot, bike or car.