How to attend Sen. John McCain's memorial services in Arizona
A number of memorial services will be open to the public to honor Sen. John McCain, who died on Saturday after battling brain cancer.
Tucsonans hoping to pay respects to McCain can take a drive up to Phoenix for a public ceremony. You can also help line the motorcade route.
Below is more information about the late senator's services.
And if you can't make it up to Phoenix but want to wish your condolences to the McCain family, Tucsonans are invited to sign a guestbook at the Funeraria Del Angel South Lawn Cemetery on South Park Avenue, near East Irvington Road.
Livestreams of some of the ceremonies will also be available online.
Arizona State Capitol
UpdatedThe first of McCain's services will be held at the Arizona State Capitol, 1700 W. Washington Street, in Phoenix on Wednesday, Aug. 29.
McCain will lie in state at the capitol, and the public is invited to attend.
McCain's motorcade will arrive at 9:50 a.m. and Gov. Doug Ducey will greet McCain's family at the Capitol Plaza. A private ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. The public is invited at 2 p.m.
Besides Gov. Ducey, Sen. Jon Kyl, Congressman James Kolbe, Sen. Jeff Flake, and Father Edward A. Reese will be present for the services.
Among the rules: no firearms are allowed, guests will be subject to security screenings before entering, photography is not allowed, and only small bags are permitted.
Parking is available at the State Fairgrounds and buses will take guests to the capitol. For other parking options and road closures, visit the Arizona Department of Public Safety website.
DPS expects thousands of guests and issued a news release regarding Wednesday's high temperatures. They advise that visitors should stay hydrated and wear sunscreen and protective clothing.
For more information on the services at the Arizona State Capitol, click here.
Arizona Public Procession
Updated
The route of the public procession in Phoenix
At 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, McCain's family will arrive again at the Arizona State Capitol.
Sen. McCain will be taken from the capitol to North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Avenue. The procession is estimated to take 30 minutes. The public is invited to line the route.
The route is:
- Northbound South 17th Avenue to westbound West Adams Street.
- Westbound West Adams Street to northbound Interstate 17.
- Northbound Interstate 17 to eastbound West Camelback Road.
- Eastbound West Camelback Road to northbound North Central Avenue.
- Northbound Central Avenue to second church driveway
For more information on the motorcade route and to see a map, click here.
North Phoenix Baptist Church Ceremony
UpdatedAfter arriving at North Phoenix Baptist Church, a service will take place at 10 a.m.
Sen. McCain's family and friends, in addition to local officials and leaders across the state, will be in attendance.
There are also 1,000 seats open to the public, though all of the seats appear to be full at the moment, as tickets are no longer being released on McCain's website.
The ceremony will include tributes and readings from former Vice President Joe Biden, Wide Receiver for the Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald, former state Attorney General Grant Woods, President of the Raza Development Fund Inc. Tommy Espinoza, and McCain's family.
Many other friends of McCain will act as pallbearers and ushers.
Among the rules: only clutch bags sized 4½ to 6½ inches are allowed inside, the bags must be clear, and items necessary for medical conditions are allowed. No food and drinks are allowed, but water will be provided.
Bags will be searched, and both a photo ID and your ticket are necessary to enter the parking lot and the church.
Guests will not be allowed re-entry.
When the ceremony comes to a close, the motorcade will leave the church and head to the Sky Harbor airport.
For more information on the North Phoenix Baptist Church ceremony, click here. For information on parking, click here.
After Arizona: Maryland and D.C.
Updated
At 12 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30, Sen. McCain's motorcade will arrive at the 161st Air Refueling Wing, a unit of the Air National Guard.
Sen. McCain will leave Arizona at 12:30 p.m., heading to Maryland for a same-day ceremony by Armed Forces Body Bearers. This event is closed to the public.
On Friday, McCain will lie in state at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence will be in attendance, among others.
On Saturday, McCain's motorcade will be taken to Washington National Cathedral and will stop at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
A memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral will take place that same day. Several people will make tributes, including McCain's family and former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
On Sunday, a private memorial service will take place in the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where McCain will be buried near his best friend.
