Easter on the White House Lawn

An annual family event, kids go hunting for eggs hidden all over the White House Grounds. Then they get to race the colorful wooden eggs on the White House Lawn from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the other end. Rutherford B. Hayes first opened the grounds to local children in 1878. Since then, all Presidents invite children to the egg rolling festivities each Easter. The Easter Bunny will also make an appearance, but is never allowed to be seen without his head. One of the White House Staff dresses up each year as the bunny. Ursula Meese, wife of President Reagan's Attorney General Edwin Meese, enjoyed the job for six years. She was known as the Meester Bunny.

Kids can also enjoy face painting, egg coloring, magicians, music, and reading corners. At each of th corners, storytelling is done by authors of popular children's books, Cabinet and Senior Administration members, and athletes.
This year, the Easter festivities are April 9 from 8AM-2PM at the White House. Small allotments of tickets will be given out at 730AM on April 9. The National Park Service will also be distributing free tickets. As long as you have a seven year old or younger with your group, you can get a maximum of five tickets. Tickets are first come, first served and can also be gotten from the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion at the Southwest corner of 15th and E Streets.
If you look carefully at some of the eggs, you will notice an egg from every state in the nation. This tradition started in 1994. The American Egg Board handles all the eggs and gets them ready for the big day.
When the Easter Egg Roll has to be canceled due to inclement weather, it can be relocated to the National Zoo or the Capitol building. The longest they went without having a egg roll was during World War II. President Eisenhower brought back the tradition in 1953 and another generation was able to participate in the Easter tradition.