White House Announces The 2008 Fall Garden Tours

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Annual White House Fall Garden Tour will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 19, 2008, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The tours have been an annual tradition since 1972 when Pat Nixon first opened the gardens to the public. Visitors are invited to view the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, Children's Garden and South Lawn of the White House while military bands perform.

Additionally, a First Bloom children's activity will take place near the Children's Garden. First Bloom is a new program from the National Park Foundation that connects kids to nature through hands-on planting and gardening projects at national parks near them. Launched with the help of National Park Foundation Honorary Chair Mrs. Laura Bush, First Bloom was created to honor the conservation legacy of Lady Bird Johnson.

Visitors are also invited to view the Laura Bush rose—a dark pink rose, which was unveiled in 2006—in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.

The event is open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees, including small children. The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located at 15th and E Streets on both tour days beginning at 8:00 a.m. Tickets will be distributed--one ticket per person and required for every attendee--on a first-come, first-served basis.

Entry for the Garden Tours will begin at Sherman Park, just south of the Department of the Treasury. Guests will be escorted to the South Lawn per their designated ticket time. In order to facilitate entry into the grounds, carry-in items will be limited. Strollers, wheelchairs, and cameras are permitted.

For more information on the Garden Tours, please call the White House Visitor Center at (202) 208-1631.

In case of inclement weather, the Garden Tours will be cancelled.

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