For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
April 5, 2005

White House Welcomes Spring with Garden Tour
Tour highlights eighteen acres and two centuries of colorful White House history

Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Washington, D.C. -- The Annual White House Spring Garden Tour will be held on two dates: Saturday, April 23, 2005 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 24, 2005 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 from a White House balcony.

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 7:30 a.m. Tickets will be distributed -- one ticket per person -- on a first-come, first-served basis.

Entry for the Garden Tours will begin on the Ellipse. 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.

# # #