National Christmas Tree

National Christmas Tree lighting event, 2023.

NPS / Kelsey Graczyk

About the National Christmas Tree

The beloved tradition of the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony began Christmas Eve in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge lit a 48-foot Balsam Fir from Vermont decorated with 2,500 red, white, and green electric bulbs. Learn more about the history of the National Christmas Tree.

 

Student ornament display, 2019

NPS / Liz Macro

Visit the National Christmas Tree and the Student Ornament Display

The National Christmas Tree is located south of the White House on the Ellipse. A collection of 58 trees with student-designed ornaments will represent the United States' 56 states and territories, and schools managed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education and the Department of Defense Education Activity. There is no fee to visit either attraction.

The National Christmas Tree site will be open starting in early December, through January 1. The trees will be lit at sunset each evening during this time.

More information about the 2025 National Christmas Tree will be forthcoming.