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Cecil Stoughton captures Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr. visiting President John F. Kennedy in the Oval Office on Halloween in their costumes.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
President Richard M. Nixon's eldest daughter, Tricia Nixon, smiles as a costumed child gazes into the fun house mirror in the Entrance Hall at the White House Halloween carnival. The event was held for local children in the Washington, D.C. area.
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
Costumed members of the United States Marine Band entertain guests during a Halloween party in the East Room of the White House in 1969. This photograph was taken during the Richard M. Nixon administration.
United States Marine Band
First Lady Betty Ford and White House Social Secretary Nancy Howe prepare for Halloween as they dress a skeleton borrowed from the White House infirmary. The two set up the skeleton in President Gerald R. Ford's private study.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
Susan Ford and her former neighbors, Matthew and Anne Abbruzzese, pictured with their jack-o'-lantern. Susan, the daughter of President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford, babysat the Abbruzzese children when the Fords lived in Alexandria.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
Amy Carter celebrates her 10th birthday with a pumpkin carving contest in the China Room. Amy and her 14 guests partook of hamburgers, ice cream and vanilla cake with chocolate icing, and watched the original movie version of "Frankenstein" on October 19, 1977.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
First Lady Rosalynn Carter and her daughter Amy host young trick-or-treaters for UNICEF on October 26, 1977. The group is gathered in the Entrance Hall of the White House, near the Grand Staircase.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
President Ronald Reagan admires a pumpkin carved with the slogan "Stay the Course" outside the South Portico entrance to the White House. President Reagan used the slogan during the 1982 midterm elections. First Lady Nancy Reagan poses alongside the pumpkin.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
First Lady Barbara Bush holds her granddaughter Marshall, who is dressed like a turtle, as they hand out treats to guests on the South Lawn of the White House Grounds during Halloween festivities.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton dressed up as President James Madison and First Lady Dolley Madison for a Halloween party in the East Room of the White House.
William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
White House staff pose with a giant carved jack-o'-lantern during the Bill Clinton administration. The group is standing in the Navy Mess in the West Wing of the White House.
William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush's Scottish terrier, Barney, poses with pumpkins in his Halloween portrait. Barney is captured on the South Lawn of the White House.
George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
President Barack Obama with White House staffer Nate Tamarin's son in the Outer Oval Office. President Obama feigns an attack by Tamarin's son, dressed as Spiderman for Halloween.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Local school children participating in Halloween festivities on the North Lawn of the White House during the Barack Obama administration.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
First Lady Michelle Obama hands out candy and cookies during a Halloween reception for military families and children of White House staff in the East Room of the White House on October 31, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
A skull and candles in the Blue Room of the White House, decorated for a Halloween reception for military families and children of White House staff during the Barack Obama administration. In the background of the photograph is the portrait of John Tyler by George Peter Alexander Healy.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
For Halloween in 2019, a display of enchanted forest trees encompassed the South Portico. Branches wrapped up the South Portico columns, reaching the top of the famous Truman Balcony, and pumpkins lined the East and West staircases.
Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical Association
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hand out commemorative candy to military families and local school children during the Halloween celebration at the White House on October 28, 2019.
Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical AssociationAbout this Gallery
On October 30, 1958, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower hosted a lunch for White House staff member's wives. To prepare, she adorned the State Dining Room with seasonally appropriate decor, featuring skeletons on the wall, pumpkins, cornstalks, and miniature witches with broomsticks on each table. Since then, the White House has experienced over 50 years of Halloween celebrations and traditions, with each administration bringing their own perspective to this haunted holiday. This gallery shows how different administrations have celebrated Halloweens past and present in the White House.
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the nation’s only unelected president and vice president, served thirteen terms in Congress before rising to national attention in 1973, when President Richard Nixon nominated him as vice president. Less than a year later, Ford became president, following President Nixon's resignation from office. The Fords made and celebrated history during their time in the White House, fr
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2023 design & learn more about President Gerald R. Ford. Buy
On November 22, 1963, about two hours after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson took the Oath of Office, becoming the thirty-sixth President of the United States. Prior to serving as vice president, Johnson had represented his home state of Texas for more than twenty years in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. As
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2021 design and learn more about President Lyndon B. Johnson.Buy
On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated as the thirty-seventh president of the United States. During his time in the White House (1969–74), President Nixon sought to unite a divided nation after the social, political, and cultural turbulence of the 1960s. Before becoming president, Nixon served in the U.S. Navy, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and as
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2022 design and learn more about President Richard Nixon. Buy the
From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden on the South Lawn in November 2022, the White House has long been the site of wedding ceremonies and receptions. In over two hundred years, there have been nineteen documented weddings and four receptions hosted
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition of millions of American families. In this collection, explore the inspiration and history behind our 2016 design, and discover how the White House and
Presidents have found different ways to escape the pressures and politics of the position. For early leaders, it was a matter of course that they would leave the White House for the summer to tend to personal businesses or farms. The modern-day presidency is a year-round job. So while the work often follows, the countryside of Virginia or seaside of
Today, the celebration of Halloween conjures images of costumed trick-or-treaters, sweets, and jack-o'-lanterns; but there was a time when All Hallows' Eve focused more on the night's thinning boundary between this world and the next. Tales of ghosts and haunted places naturally bubble to the surface this time of year, and with such rich history radiating from its halls, there
