The Netherlands Carillon

The Netherlands Carillion A gift from the Dutch people as a sign of gratitude to the American people for helping to liberate them during World War II. Source: National Park Service

It was a gift from the people of the Netherlands to the people of the United States in gratitude for American aid during and after World War II, and symbolizes friendship between the two countries, and their common allegiance to the principles of freedom, justice, and democracy.

The Netherlands Carillon is a 127-foot-tall open steel historic structure in Arlington Ridge Park, near the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. It was a gift from the Netherlands to the people of the United States in gratitude for American aid during and after World War II. It symbolizes the friendship between the two countries and their allegiance to freedom, justice, and democracy.

The carillon is cast from a bronze alloy and features 50 bells, each carrying an emblem and verse representing a group within Dutch society. The original gift of the bells was conceived in 1950, completed and shipped to the United States in 1954, and hung in a temporary structure in West Potomac Park. The current structure was constructed in 1960 by Dutch architect Joost W.C. Boks and is recognized as one of the first modernist monuments constructed in the region.

The structure sits within a square plaza and is flanked by two bronze lion sculptures. To the east of the plaza is a tulip library and a gift from the Dutch, planted in 1964. The tree planting for the park was completed as part of the 1960s National Capital Parks Planting Plan. The carillon is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Arlington Ridge Park, and the larger setting comprises a cultural landscape.

After a two-year rehabilitation project, the carillon was rededicated on May 5, 2022. Three more bells were added, making this a “grand carillon” with 53 bells total. One bell is for General George C. Marshall, who helped rebuild Europe after WWII with the Marshall Plan. Another commemorates First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's advocacy for human rights. The final of the three new bells honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s lifelong work advancing civil rights.