This post explains what the annual White House Easter Egg Roll is and how to get tickets (lottery).
With the cherry blossoms in bloom, and warm weather finally here, spring is a great time of year to get out and enjoy some of the many activities Washington, DC has to offer.
- How to Get Tickets
- Plan Your Visit
- Easter Egg Roll History
- Official White House Tours
- Things to Do in DC
- Free Tours by Foot
How to Get Tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll
If you are planning a visit or live in the area, the White House Easter Egg Roll is the hottest ticket in town.
If you have children aged 12 and under, get your tickets and join the first family on the South Lawn of the White House grounds from 8 am to 5 pm for a day full of activities:
Visit with the White House Easter Bunny, enjoy storytelling, sports, live entertainment from the United States Marine Band, a talent show, cooking classes, and the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll.
White House Easter Egg Roll tickets are given out as a lottery. The date that the lottery is usually about six weeks before the annual event.
The free ticket lottery opens on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10 am. Results will be announced through email.
Entering the lottery is free of charge, and winners will be notified via email in March.
To enter the lottery, you will be prompted to create an account on the National Park Service Recreation.gov website.
You will be presented with a list of available times and should rank them in order of preference.
Each household is limited to one lottery application. You will need to list how many adults and how many children with a maximum of six tickets. Lucky guests will be notified via email.
Here is an example lottery screen from 2013.
Alternatives to Easter Egg Roll: If you can’t get tickets to this event, you can apply for a separate tour of the White House. Learn how to tour the White House here.
Or plan on going on one of our National Mall tours we offer that day.
Easter Egg Roll Information
Date: The date for 2023 is April 10, 20233. Follow us @topthingstododc on Instagram to stay up to date on announcements!
Location: White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington DC
How to get to the Easter Egg Roll Zone:
There is no White House Metro Station. The closest metro stop to the tour entrance is Metro Center (red, orange, blue, and silver lines) (take the 13th Street exit), which is just a 7-minute walk.
When you come up the escalators, you will be facing 13th Street.
Take 13th Street south (downhill) and make a right turn on E Street and proceed straight until you reach 15th Street.
McPherson Square Metro station (orange, blue, and silver lines) is also close to the White House.
We strongly recommend using our Google Maps for directions to the entry point.
Mass transit is recommended for reaching the White House. If you must drive, you can find a parking spot at a nearby garage through a service called SpotHero.
This website allows you to reserve guaranteed parking spots ahead of time, often for a cheaper price than the garage itself would charge.
All guests will enter the event from the Ellipse and will have to go through a security screening process.
WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED:
- No food or beverages are allowed on the grounds.
- Large Bags, suitcases, and backpacks
Parents CAN bring baby strollers, diaper bags, baby formula, and baby bottles.
Cost: FREE!
History of the White House Easter Egg Roll:
Since 1878, Presidents and their families have celebrated Easter Monday by hosting an "egg roll" party, which is held on the South Lawn of the white house.
This is one of the oldest annual events in White House history and a time-honored tradition.
Although the Easter Egg roll was previously held on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building, in 1878 celebrants were not allowed to roll eggs on the grounds of the Capitol over concerns and an eventual bill that banned the rolling of eggs on the grounds.
In 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant signed that bill into law and the following year heavy rain canceled the day's activities.
The following year, 1878, egg rollers came to the Capitol grounds but were ejected by Capitol Hill police.
President Rutherford B. Hayes gets word of the disappointed children just down Pennsylvania Avenue at the Capitol and invited them to come to the White House South Lawn.
Since then, young children and their families have come to the White House on Easter Monday to enjoy the annual festivities and a traditional egg roll.
Be sure to take home or order an official White House Easter Egg, which is made of hardwood and comes in four custom colors, which includes the stamped signatures of the President and First Lady.
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