President's Park (White House) - President's Park (White House) (U.S. National Park Service)

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Welcome to President's Park!

Throughout the years President’s Park has served many purposes from bosk to bivouac, from a field for infantry drills to a place for inaugural celebrations. With the White House as a back drop, President’s Park over time has played host to suffragettes, freedom riders, anti-war protestors, Easter egg rollers, and participants of festivities surrounding the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

The Lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

2009 Lighting of the National Christmas Tree

The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation have announced the annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Thursday, Decemebr 3, 2009, at 5:00 p.m., on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. This year, the event will introduce a new lottery system for the general public, providing a chance to obtain free tickets to the ceremony.

The new online lottery will be available beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Wednesday, November 4th (or 11:01 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), 10:01 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST) and 9:01 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Tuesday, November 3rd). The ticket lottery remains open through 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, November 6th (or 10:59 p.m. CST, 9:59 p.m. MST and 8:59 p.m. PST on Friday evening, November 6th), by going to www.thenationaltree.org and following the link to the online ticket lottery application page at www.recreation.gov . The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony marks the opening of the four-week event sponsored by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the official charitable partner of America’s National Parks.

The lottery at www.thenationaltree.org will include 2,800 ticketed seats and 7,000 standing room tickets. The website will contain all necessary information to apply for 2009 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony tickets. Additionally, any ticket seeker without access to a computer may also call (877-444-6777 or for TDD (877) 833-6777) beginning Wednesday, November 4th through Friday, November 6th to place their name into the lottery. Once the lottery is completed, ticket lottery seekers who submitted their request via computer will be notified via email. Successful ticket seekers who applied by calling the above-listed number will receive a notice sent via U.S. Mail. Beginning on November 9, 2009 all ticket seekers may check the status of their request online or through the call center after conclusion of the lottery.

The tickets are free and may not be sold.
more...

		Things To Do Joining a Ranger program, walking, and touring the White House are just a few of the ways to experience President's Park. Start at the White House Visitor Center which includes exhibits, video, and a museum store. more...

		Activities Calendar A listing of activities, rangers' programs and family events at President's Park and the White House Visitor Center. more...

		Volunteer Opportunities The park is very fortunate to have people that are willing to volunteer their time to assist with daily park operations, visitor services and assisting in both resource management and education programs. more...

Write to

President's Park
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242

E-mail Us

Phone

Visitor Information
(202) 208-1631

TTY
(800) 877-8339

Fax

(202) 208-1643

Climate

The climate in Washington D.C. is seasonal. Summers can be very hot and humid with an average temperature of 82. Winters are variable and can be very mild to very cold. The average winter temperature is 35. Clothing should be in accordance with the season.