2024 EVENTS PATRIOT PLAZA

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Sarasota National Cemetery is one of 9 National Cemeteries in the state of Florida and as of September 2023 is the final resting place of over 32,000 Veterans, their spouses, and their qualified dependents.

At the time of construction in 2008, there were over 1.9 Million Veterans within a 75 mile radius of the Sarasota Area and it was determined that the 295-acre national cemetery in Sarasota will serve our veterans’ needs for the next 50 years. The cemetery is in Sarasota County at 9810 State Road 72, 4.7 miles east of Interstate 75 off of Exit 205. The Cemetery's Hallowed Grounds consist of casketed and cremated remains which can be interred either on the grounds or in the Columbarium niches. Services are held at one of three Committal Shelters.

In April 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs purchased the site from private citizens and awarded a contract to Miller Legg & Associates of Winter Park, Fla., to design the new cemetery. Construction of Phase IB is complete and provides for nearly 18,200 full casket gravesites, including 15,200 pre-placed crypts, 9,000 in-ground cremains and approximately 7,200 columbarium niches. A new phase of construction began in January 2023, expanding to the south and west of the Administration Building and at the existing Columbariums.

The cemetery includes an administration and public information center complex with an electronic gravesite locator and public restrooms, a maintenance facility, a cemetery entrance area, a flag assembly area, a memorial walkway with a donations area, as well as two committal shelters and other infrastructure design elements include roadways, landscaping, utilities, and irrigation.

The ceremonial amphitheater “Patriot Plaza” was dedicated and donated to the National Cemetery Administration by The Patterson Foundation of Sarasota on June 28, 2014.   

Patriot Plaza features commissioned art that honors veterans, inspires patriotism, and embraces freedom. The amphitheater is a place of peace and reflection and exists for our community to honor veterans through ceremonies and events for generations to come. 

Patriot Plaza provides a place to conduct ceremonies honoring veterans and their families. The amphitheater includes an 80-foot-tall stainless-steel flagpole, a rostrum that is large enough to accommodate a 55-piece orchestra, and seating for up to 2,800 people.

Patriot Plaza is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Admission is free. Weekly tours of Patriot Plaza take place on Tuesday at 10 a.m. except for federal holidays. Participants should meet at the east entrance of Patriot Plaza near the bronze sculpture “Home”, which depicts nesting eagles.

Guided Informational Tours are available. To schedule group tours to include school children tours, please complete the form at the link below: https://form.jotform.com/71510699628162 

or contact the Patriot Plaza Tour Coordinator at PatriotPlaza@SarasotaArts.org.