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President's Park (White House)Park volunteers participating in National Trails Day event. (NPS Photo by Michael D. Moreno)
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President's Park (White House)
Things To Do
 
 

 
White House Visitor Center Exhibits

White House Visitor Center

• Walk through six permanent exhibits relating to the White House including the First Families In the White House, Symbols and Images, White House Architecture, White House Interiors, Working White House, and Ceremonies and Celebration.

• View a 30-minute video "Where History Lives" (closed-captioned for the hearing impaired)

• Visit the White House Historical Association Museum shop

• Participate in our interpretive programs, living history programs, military concerts or guest lectures. Look for a park ranger or volunteer for more current information on these programs.

• Stop at the information booth for a free map and brochures.

 

 
The Ellipse, 1995

President's Park South

• Stroll through the park.

• Walk a lap or two around the Ellipse sidewalk. (one lap = 0.6 mile)

• Learn about the Ellipse, First Division Monument, General William T. Sherman Monument, Butt-Millet Fountain, Haupt Fountains, District Patentees Memorial, Boy Scout Memorial, Zero Milestone, Second Division Memorial, Bullfinch Gatehouses, and National Christmas Tree

• Find the "BIG RED ONE" flower bed during the spring and summer seasons.

• Participate in annual special events such as the Easter Egg Roll, White House Fall and Spring Garden Tours, or Christmas Pageant of Peace; stop by the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion or the White House Visitor Center for the most current schedule.

• Observe park wildlife such as gray squirrels, migratory birds, and an occasional sighting of a red-tailed hawk, or bald eagle. For your safety, please do not feed the squirrels. They will bite.

• Take photographs of the White House, Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial and the surrounding monuments and buildings.

 

 
Jackson Cannon

Lafayette Park

• Stroll through the park.

• View the manicured grounds and gardens.

• Learn about the history of five statues in Lafayette Park. In the center stands an equestrian statue of President Andrew Jackson, and in the four corners are statues of Revolutionary War heroes: France's General Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette and Major General Comte Jean de Rochambeau; Poland's General Thaddeus Kosciuszko; and Prussia's Major General Baron Frederich Wilhelm von Steuben.

• Take photographs of the White House, Lafayette Park and the surrounding buildings and monuments.

Explore President's Park
Explore President's Park
Come walk with our nation's stories in President's Park
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White House Historical Association Museum Shop
White House Historical Association
Visit the museum shop
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Activities Calendar
Activities Calendar
What's happening at President's Park?
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Andrew Jackson Equestrian Statue, 1853, Thomas Sinclair  

Did You Know?
Andrew Jackson statue represents the first equestrain statue to be erected in United States. This bronze statue, measuring about 9 feet high and 12 feet wide, can be found in the center of Lafayette Park.

Last Updated: January 26, 2009 at 08:00 EST