The Pentagon
Seen from across the Potomac, the Pentagon sits low and vast on the Arlington riverbank — a five-sided, five-story building ringed by five concentric corridors, and the world's second-largest office complex by floor area. It was built under the pressure of World War II: groundbreaking on September 11, 1941, completion on January 15, 1943 — roughly sixteen months. Steel was needed at the front, so the entire structure was built of reinforced concrete; even the elevators were replaced by ramps. Sixty years to the day later, on September 11, 2001, a hijacked airliner struck its west side. Walk in today and the evidence is everywhere — from the indoor chapel at the rebuilt section to the outdoor memorial garden — each corner holding a chapter of history that rewards a slow read.
United States · 3 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
Central Courtyard
The Pentagon's five concentric rings surround a five-acre open courtyard at their center — itself a pentagon. During the Cold War, this geometric void was reportedly one of the most closely watched patches of ground on earth. At its center stood a small food kiosk that Pentagon staff nicknamed "Cafe Ground Zero, the deadliest hot dog stand in the world." Soviet satellites tracked the stream of senior military officers who gathered there each day, and — according to a story attributed to Pentagon information officer Brett Eaton — Moscow kept no fewer than two missiles aimed at the stand at all times, convinced it was the entrance to a hardened underground command bunker. The generals were just buying lunch. The original kiosk was demolished in 2006–2007 and replaced by an indoor Au Bon Pain with seating for around 50; under the Pentagon's historic landmark rules, the wooden owl decoy that sat on the old roof — placed there to deter birds — was preserved and moved to the top of the new structure.
Sources: dvidshub.net · en.wikipedia.org · wearethemighty.com
Heliport Control Tower
On the north side of the Pentagon sits a military heliport (ICAO: KJPN), operated by the U.S. Army to ferry visiting military leaders and foreign dignitaries. The pad itself is a pentagon-shaped concrete slab roughly 100 by 100 feet — even the flight infrastructure follows the building's geometry. On September 11, 2001, air traffic controller Sean Boger was on duty in the adjacent tower when he spotted American Airlines Flight 77 bearing down at roughly 530 mph. He had ten to fifteen seconds. The aircraft was low enough to clip a streetlight before it struck the west wall. The west-side location beside this tower had previously been the Pentagon's primary helipad; after the attack, that ground was redeveloped as the Pentagon Memorial, and heliport operations shifted to the current northern site.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · airnav.com · cbsnews.com
Pentagon Memorial
On the southwest lawn of the Pentagon, 184 stainless-steel benches cantilever outward in staggered rows, each one suspended above a shallow pool of quietly moving water, each one bearing a name. The arrangement is precise: every bench represents one person killed in the September 11, 2001 attack — either inside the building or aboard American Airlines Flight 77 — and the benches are ordered by age, from the youngest victim, age 3, to the oldest, age 71. The orientation of each bench carries meaning too: those honoring victims inside the Pentagon face toward the south wall where the plane struck; those honoring passengers and crew face skyward, aligned with the flight path of the approaching aircraft. The memorial opened on September 11, 2008, seven years after the attack.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
FAQ
What overlooked corners are worth seeing inside The Pentagon?
Central Courtyard, Heliport Control Tower, Pentagon Memorial and more — 3 spots in all, each with sources and a guide in your language to read or listen to on the spot.
Is the The Pentagon guide free?
All 3 guides are free.