File:Columbarium - North - courts 2 and 4 and 6 - Arlington National Cemetery.jpg

English: A view of the Columbarium Courts 2, 4, and 6 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. "Phase One" of the columbarium construction included Courts #1 and #2. Columbarium Court #1 opened in April 1980. It contained 5,026 niches. Court #2 (pictured here, upper photo), which contained another 5,000 niches, opened in 1984. Also constructed at this time was an outdoor chapel and plaza (visible center left) between Courts #1 and #2. This consists of four concrete pillars supporting a concrete square flat roof. This chapel is known as "Marshall Shelter," and is named after U.S. Army General George C. Marshall. "Phase Two" of columbarium construction included Courts #3 and #4, both of which opened in 1991. "Phase Three" of columbarium construction included Courts #5 and #6. They 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.

In 1999, Arlington National Cemetery developed a master plan for the use of its land. The master plan called for a central ellipse (planted with trees, shrubs and flowers) between Courts #3/#5 and Courts #4/#6, for a second chapel (identical to the first) to be built on the eastern end of the complex (with its rostrum in the east), and for two much larger courts (#7 and #8) to be built east of Courts #5 and #6.

The date of this photograph is prior to 2001. The ellipse and Courts #7 and #8 did not begin construction until 2001, and no ellipse or additional courts are visible in this image.