File:Columbarium - Court 5 - Arlington National Cemetery - 2011.JPG

English: A view of the fountain, counrtyard, and wall niches in Court #5 of the Columbarium Complex at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States.

The 14-acre, rectangular columbarium site is approximately 700 feet from north to south and 800 feet from east to west. The site was previously divided in an east-west direction by Nimitz Drive (now no longer in existence). Columbarium Court #1, with 5,026 niches, opened in April 1980. Court #2, which contained another 5,026 niches, opened in 1984. Each court is 118 feet wide and 175 feet long, and contains about 20,650 square feet of space. Courts #3 and #4 are both the same size as Courts #1 and #2, and opened in 1991.

Courts #5 and #6 contained a combined 11,286 niches. Construction on Court #6 began on July 1, 1996, and was completed in October 1997. Construction on Court #5 began on February 7, 1997, and was completed in June 1998. The cost of Court #5 was estimated to be $3.3 million. Each court had about 10 percent more square footage than the previous courts. A restroom and mechanical/storage room were added to Court #6, but these features are not present in Court #5.

Each columbarium court has a foundation of granite. The exterior walls are built by constructing wooden forms, into which concrete is poured. The exterior walls are then clad in limestone. The interior walls are made of precast concrete, clad in marble. The walkways are covered in flagstone. Each niche accommodates two urns and is sealed with a marble plaque.