White House offers free garden tours on October 17 and 18
The White House has announced free garden tours on October 17 and 18, with limited timed tickets distributed in person from 8:30 a.m. Eastern on each day.
The White House’s September 29 notice announces free garden tours on Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
All times are Eastern. The route includes the South Lawn, Rose Garden and Kitchen Garden.
Admission is free, but every visitor, including small children, needs a timed ticket. The National Park Service will distribute one ticket per person, first come, first served, from 8:30 a.m. each day at a tent outside the White House Visitor Center, 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Plan around that morning distribution; availability is not guaranteed.
Garden access is separate from the regular indoor White House tour. Check the event's entry rules before travelling: metal water bottles and oversized bags are among the prohibited items, while medically necessary items are permitted. Weather can cancel the event. The announcement gives 202-456-7040 as the 24-hour information line for checking its status.
Take it further
Plan the ticket collection October 17 and 18: timed tickets distributed from 8:30 a.m. Eastern outside the Visitor Center, first come, first served. One per person, including children. This is a distribution start time, not a booking deadline or guarantee of admission; check current entry rules and weather status.
Sources & details 2 sources
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Paste the brief into your voice app to discuss this reporting.Revised 4 October 2026. Reporting and visuals refined. Original source dates and prior checks retained.
Reporting sources
- White House — September 29 fall garden announcement
Dated September 29, 2026. Specifies October 17–18 opening hours, same-day ticket distribution, free public admission, entry restrictions and weather-cancellation information. Checked September 30.
- National Park Service — garden tours
Background only: confirms garden visits are separate from indoor White House tours. Last updated May 12; its spring dates are not used for the new fall schedule.
Images & figures
The South Lawn, June 24, 2025. Archival context for the garden visit; landscaping and access may differ in October 2026.
NPS / Kelsey Graczyk · Source · Usage terms