Tour the White House Rose Garden – Oct. 26-27
Going back to the days of George Washington when the south lawn of the White House was purchased from a local tobacco farmer, it’s had a history of beautiful gardens. President John Adams was the first to have flowers planted in the White House gardens; while President Rutherford B. Hayes was the first to have commemorative tree planted marking the nation’s centennial in 1876. Woodrow Wilson’s wife planted the first rose garden in the west garden, which is the location of today’s famous White House Rose Garden.
During President Kennedy’s term, he had the Rose Garden, located just steps from the Oval Office redesigned to accommodate functions and ceremonies. It was later used for events such as the signing of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty in 1994. Lady Bird Johnson renamed the east garden for Jackie Kennedy and Pat Nixon first opened the gardens to periodic public tours starting in 1772.
The Annual White House Fall Garden Tour happens Saturday and Sunday, October 26-27 starting at 10:00 am on Saturday and Noon on Sunday with tours ending at 4:00 pm both days. The tours will include the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, Children’s Garden and the South Lawn. There are also several military bands scheduled to perform.
Free timed tickets are required and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 8:00 am each day at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (15th NE and E Street NE). Plan on arriving VERY early to get tickets for this popular annual event. If you need multiple tickets, plan on having everyone in your party (including the little ones) at the Pavilion, as the National Park Service will distribute only one ticket per person. Plan on leaving backpacks and other large items behind as only strollers, wheelchairs and cameras are permitted and smaller personal items. If the weather is bad, the tours may be cancelled.
For more infromation about the upcoming garden tours or White House tours, contact the White House Visitor Center for 24-hours recorded information at 202-456-7041, or for live information from 7:30 am - 4:00 pm daily at 202-208-1631.
Have you even heard the phrase “a rose garden strategy”? It implies the sitting president is hiding on the White House grounds and avoiding traveling to face the people.
Photo credit: flickr
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