Everything You Need To Know About The White House Easter Egg Roll (2024)
If you’ve seen the videos and pictures of the White House Easter Egg Roll, you probably want to know how to score an invitation to this event! The good news: it’s open to the public. The bad news: you have to enter a lottery process and have great luck (and a kid 12 or under) to get in. Here’s everything you need to know about the White House Easter Egg Roll for 2024.
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What Is The White House Easter Egg Roll?
The White House Egg Roll dates back to 1878.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan hosted a hunt for wooden eggs that bore the signatures of famous people.
Wooden eggs soon became the official White House Egg Roll keepsakes.
The eggs are designed to reflect the special theme of each year’s event and are inscribed with the signatures of the president and first lady.
What President and First Lady Started The Easter Egg Roll At The White House?
President Rutherford B. Hayes agreed to open the White House the Monday following Easter to all children who wanted to roll Easter eggs.
Everything You Need To Know About the White House Easter Egg Roll (2024)
How To Get Tickets To The 2024 White House Easter Egg Roll Lottery
White House Easter Egg Roll tickets are free to the public and may be requested through an online public lottery starting on Monday, February 26 at 12:00pm ET, and closing on Monday, March 4, 2024 at 12pm ET.
The 2024 White House Easter Egg Roll will happen on Monday, April 1, 2024.
What Does The Easter Egg Roll Cost?
Entering the public lottery is free of charge.
Tickets are not for sale or resale.
Selected winners will be notified on March 11, 2024 via email.
Will You Meet The President At The Easter Egg Roll?
Not likely!
While the Presidents typically come out, it’s usually part of their busy work day. While the President and First Lady traditionally spend some time at the event, it’s not an all-day expectation for them.
If you are super lucky, you’ll happen to score the right entry time and maybe get a chance to see the President and First Lady at an event.
What Ages Can Attend?
The annual event is geared toward children 12 years of age and younger.
Kids in strollers are absolutely welcome!
To enter the lottery, you must take a child 12 years old or younger.
Once your household no longer has a child under 12, you are not eligible for the lottery.
You Scored Tickets: Now What? What To Know About Attending The White House Easter Egg Roll
Transportation Options To the White House Easter Egg Roll
The best option is to take public transportation, such as the Metro, to the White House.
The closest Metro stations to the White House are:
- Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines)
- Metro Center (blue, orange, silver, and red lines)
- McPherson Square (blue, orange, and silver lines)
You can also find parking in the area at garages close to the White House area.
These will cost you $30-50, however, and may take a bit of time to get in and out of when you decide to leave.
Street parking will be extremely limited in the area and be hard to come by.
We suggest Uber/Lyft or the Metro as the best options.
How Much Time Does The Event Take?
Each timed ticket will have a window for entry.
Be sure to arrive when your window opens and not too much beforehand. You will be queued up and standing in lines that lead to more lines that ultimately lead you through security.
The whole entry process can take 30-40 minutes.
Once inside, you should have just about 2 hours to explore the grounds, partake in the events, and just soak in the fun at the White House.
Map of the White House Easter Egg Roll
Please enter at Constitution Avenue NW between 15th Street NW and 17th Street NW, and be sure to arrive 45 minutes ahead of the scheduled time on your ticket.
Check out the map here.
What Is There To Do At The White House Egg Roll?
Besides the egg roll experience (for kids only, by the way!) there are tons of events and stations happening on the White House lawn.
Kids can participate in Easter egg hunts, crafts, meet beloved characters from their favorite franchises (Sesame Street, Disney, etc.), and listen to celebrity guests read to them.
This is the list of events for the 2023 White House Easter Egg Roll and we’ll update with 2024 events when they are announced:
EGG ROLL
The tradition that started it all! Children will use wooden spoons to roll colorful eggs in a race across the South Lawn.
EGG HUNT
Children will find hidden eggs and collect special prizes.
SCHOOLHOUSE
The Schoolhouse area of the South Lawn will be full of fun educational activities for all to enjoy!
TALENT SHOW
The Talent Show stage on the South Lawn will feature some of today’s most “egg-citing” kids’ educational acts and performances.
SNACK TIME!
Children and their families can fuel up for learning with some seasonal snacks!
FIELD TRIP TO THE FARM
It’s time to head to the farm for a school field trip! Children will learn from farmers about how they help feed our families.
READING NOOK
Families will come together for some special story time with children’s book authors and special guests!
PICTURE DAY
Families will remember this day always with a fun photo! Snap a family picture with the White House in the background or capture a moment with your favorite costumed character.
PHYSICAL EGGucation (PE)
Children of all ages will hop, bounce, kick, run, and throw their way through the South Lawn’s obstacle course and favorite schoolyard activities.
BAND HALL
Families will enjoy music from local marching bands as they make their way up to the Egg Roll!
HISTORY CLASS
As guests make their way to the egg-xit, they will learn more about the history of the White House Easter Egg Roll!
What Is the Dress Code For The White House Easter Egg Roll?
There really isn’t an official dress code but there are some good tips for choosing your White House Easter Egg Roll outfit.
- Dress comfortably: The Easter Egg Roll takes place outside on the White House lawn, so it’s important to dress comfortably for the weather. Wear comfortable shoes that are suitable for walking and standing for long periods of time.
- Dress for the weather: Washington D.C. weather can be unpredictable, so make sure to check the forecast and dress accordingly. If it’s going to be sunny, wear a hat and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun. If it’s going to be chilly, wear layers so you can adjust your clothing as needed.
- The White House Easter Egg Roll is a family-friendly event so keep that in mind when choosing an outfit. We wouldn’t suggest wearing, for example, a shirt with curse words printed on it. If you wouldn’t wear it to school, you probably shouldn’t wear it at the White House.
- Dress in theme. The White House will put out the theme for the event a few days before April 10. In 2023, the event will continue to be “EGGucation,” a nod toward First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s years as an educator. You could also wear red, white, and blue to make a patriotic statement. And Spring colors/Sunday Easter attire is always appropriate.
- Dress appropriately for a special occasion. Business casual to Sunday best is generally appropriate for the White House Easter Egg Roll dress code.
List Of Costumed Characters You May Meet At the 2024 Easter Egg Roll
This list is from 2023, but we expect many of the same characters to appear for 2024.
Hopefully one of your family’s favorites will be out while you are there.
- Bluey and Bingo
- Captain Planet
- DJ Bunny and DJ Duck
- Doki the Dog
- Dr. Seuss Character, The Lorax
- Gritty, the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers
- Hatching Chick
- Miffy Bunny
- Milkshake the Cow from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Nickelodeon Characters: Paw Patrol including Chase, Marshall, Skye, and Rubble, Sponge Bob and Patrick from Sponge Bob Squarepants, Blue and Magenta from Blue’s Clues
- PBS KIDS Characters: Alma from Alma’s Way, Donkey from Donkey Hodie, Daniel Tiger from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Xavier Riddle from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, Rosie from Rosie’s Rules, Zeke from Work it Out Wombats!, Elinor from Elinor Wonders Why, and Molly from Molly of Denali
- Peanuts Characters: Astronaut Snoopy and Charlie Brown
- Phanatic, the mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies
- Poe, the mascot of the Baltimore Ravens
- Screech, the mascot of the Washington Nationals
- Sesame Street Characters Abby Cadabby, and Grover
- Slapshot, the mascot of the Washington Capitals
- Swoop, the mascot of the Philadelphia Eagles
- The Nationals’ Racing Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt
- The Oriole Bird, mascot of the Baltimore Orioles
- Universal Pictures Characters: The Minions
- Warner Brothers Superheroes: Superman and Wonder Woman
- Winnie the Pooh and Tigger
- Woodsy the Owl and Smokey the Bear from the U.S. Forest Service
Don’t Forget Your White House Wooden Egg!
As a free gift for attending the event, each child 13 and under is able to take home a special White House wooden egg.
In 2022, the egg had the signatures of President and Dr. Biden on the back and the White House south portico and year adorned on the front.
You can purchase an egg set in advance, including this year’s golden egg by visiting the Official White House shop.
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Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.
