The expanded White House Beehive and newly installed helipad will be among the areas of the White House grounds visitors will experience at the upcoming 2026 Fall Garden Tours, First Lady Melania Trump announced on Tuesday.
The White House will welcome visitors 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.
Guests on the tour will experience the South Lawn, the Rose Garden, the White House Kitchen Garden, the expanded White House Beehive and the new helipad, according to a White House press release. Rich in history and tradition, the White House gardens provide guests with a unique glimpse into the grounds that have served as a backdrop throughout the nation’s 250 years of history, it said.
The event is free and open to the public. A ticket is required for all attendees, including small children. The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at a tent outside the White House Visitor Center each day of the tours beginning at 8:30 AM. The White House Visitor Center is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004, near the intersection of 15th Street and E Street Northwest.
Tickets will be distributed—one ticket per person—on a first-come, first-served basis.
Calendar
Oct. 9, 2026
Legacy Lecture: The Soft Power of Fashion
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents a Legacy Lecture exploring how First Lady Michelle Obama used the soft power of fashion to shape public perception and build a lasting cultural legacy. The virtual event will take place at noon on Oct. 9, 2026, with Ginger Stanciel, Senior Curatorial Associate for the new Obama Presidential Center, examining Michelle Obama’s public image and the role fashion plays in diplomacy, leadership, and storytelling. Read more
Oct. 13, 2026
The White House Workers History Project Launch Event
The White House Historical Association presents the launch of the White House Workers History Project with an in-person program and reception to follow. The program will feature a conversation with former Executive Residence staff William Allman, Annie Brown and Cristeta Comerford. The White House Workers History Project (WHWHP) highlights the often-overlooked impact of White House staff from 1789 to the present. The project does not feature political staff who served in the East and West Wings over time. Instead, it brings the lesser-known stories of non-partisan workers to the forefront, demonstrating how everyday people served the country and shaped the American story. Read more
Oct. 15, 2026
Third Thursday: From the Kitchen to the Heartland
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents an in-person, look at the world of the White House kitchen from 6 to 8 p.m. local time on Oct. 15, 2026, as it explores the stories behind the menus and meals that helped shape presidential history. Discover how food has reflected changing tastes, celebrated milestone events, and offered a glimpse into the lives of America’s First Families through historic White House menus from the National First Ladies collection. Read more
Oct. 17, 2026
Edith Bolling Wilson Birthday Celebration
The Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Foundation & Museum will celebrate the 154th birthday of First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson with an afternoon and evening filled with history, celebration, and the unveiling of Phase I of the Bolling Home Restoration Project. Enjoy the dedication of the new Education Center. Discover the powerful story of Matilda Stepteau through the museum’s newest exhibit before raising a glass to celebrate Edith’s birthday at a memorable dinner across the street at the Bolling Wilson Hotel. Read more
Oct. 28, 2026
In Pursuit: Eleanor Roosevelt with Allida Black and Jon Meacham
What can Eleanor Roosevelt’s life and legacy teach us about leadership, citizenship, and the ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union? The Clinton Foundation presents on Wednesday, October 28 at noon, an in-person America250 conversation with Allida Black, the 2024 Lewis L. Gould Award winner, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham, moderated by Michael Cooper, executive director and executive vice president of the American Society of International Law.
Drawing on Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s contribution to More Perfect’s “In Pursuit” essay series, which explores Roosevelt’s leadership, and Meacham’s recent book, “American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union,” the discussion will explore Roosevelt’s enduring influence and the democratic values that continue to shape our nation. Read more
Oct. 29, 2026
Adams Speaker Series: John and Abigail Adams
The Adams Presidential Center in partnership with Revolutionary Spaces presents a conversation exploring the remarkable leadership and enduring contributions of John and Abigail Adams and their relevance to America today. Renowned historians and civic education leaders Colleen Shogan, PhD, and Kurt Graham, PhD, will come together at Boston’s historic Old South Meeting House for an insightful discussion of the Adams family’s leadership, civic values, and lasting impact on our constitutional democracy.
Dr. Shogan will also introduce In Pursuit: Lessons of American Leadership, an America 250 project featuring essays on leadership lessons from presidents and first ladies, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Pulitzer Prize-winning historians, military leaders, and other iconic Americans. She will share highlights from the essays focused on the extraordinary leadership of John and Abigail Adams, as well as John Quincy Adams and Louisa Catherine Adams, offering fresh perspectives on how their experiences and leadership lessons continue to resonate today. Read more
Send calendar items, press releases and announcements to jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.
The Weekly Wrap
The Weekly Wrap is a collection of headlines from the past week. Some publications have paywalls.
East Wing Magazine
Before Melania Trump, the Chinese Women Who Wore Pants to the State Dinner
Oct. 3, 2026 – When it comes to women’s attire, official Washington is as conservative as it gets. It was not until 1993 that women senators and staffers could wear pants on the Senate floor, after Maryland senator Barbara Mikulski appeared in the chamber wearing a pantsuit and prevailed on the sergeant-at-arms to revise the rules. In 1999, etiquette expert Letitia Baldridge questioned Martha Stewart’s sense of protocol when she wore a Ralph Lauren pink silk pantsuit to a state dinner for the president of Hungary. And Hillary Clinton was accused of emasculating men when pantsuits became her standard wardrobe. So, it is no surprise that Melania Trump has come under critical scrutiny for her decision to wear pants to the September 24 state dinner with Chinese president Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan. Read more
InStyle
Michelle and Barack Obama Stroll Barefoot on the Beach in Unseen PDA-Packed 34th Anniversary Photo
Oct. 3, 2026 – Michelle and Barack Obama were feeling the love on October 3 as they celebrated 34 years of marriage. The longtime couple—who tied the knot in Chicago in 1992—packed on the PDA with an intimate beach stroll as they shared never-before-seen moments from their relationship on social media. Read more
In Pursuit
Mamie Doud Eisenhower by Marilyn Irvin Holt
Oct. 1, 2026 – Mamie Doud Eisenhower, first lady from 1953 to 1961, brought to that role an outgoing personality and a strong sense of who she was and how things should be done. She was well-liked and admired; long after she left the White House her name continued to appear on Good Housekeeping magazine’s annual list of the ten most admired women in the world. During the 1950s, her “Mamie Bangs” hairdo and love of “Mamie Pink” in clothing and décor became part of popular culture. On a deeper level, she connected with the American public, projecting an image of the friend next door who wanted what millions yearned for — “normal” times after the economic depression of the 1930s and war years of the 1940s. Mamie was very much in step with what people wanted for themselves and expected from her as first lady. She was a perfect fit for the era. Read more
Forbes Library
What You May Not Know About Grace Coolidge and Often Overlooked First Ladies
Sept. 30, 2026 – The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum presented a conversation with Diana B. Carlin, “What You May Not Know About Grace Coolidge and Often Overlooked First Ladies,” sharing insights into the lives and legacies of Grace Coolidge and other first ladies. View here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Michelle Obama Park Offers Lessons About Land Swaps and the Price of Promises
Sept. 30, 2026 – On Saturday morning, a DeKalb County shuttle dropped me at the entrance of what used to be Intrenchment Creek Park. The park is relatively close to my neighborhood, and for years, my family enjoyed biking, walking and chatting with neighbors at the former trailhead. Read more
Variety
Pete Davidson Grows Up: On Leaving ‘SNL,’ Famous Exes, the Joys of Fatherhood and Why He’s Keeping His Hillary Clinton Tattoo
Sept. 30, 2026 – Say the name “Pete Davidson” aloud, and it will conjure a certain image: a man strutting down the street in baggy pants, swarmed by paparazzi, clenching the hand of a screen beauty with a grin on his face. Read more
East Wing Magazine
Reassessing a ‘Reluctant’ Bess Truman
Sept. 28, 2026 – Bess Truman avoided the spotlight and, perhaps, would have avoided becoming first lady had duty not called. History documents her outspoken reluctance to step into the activist role that Eleanor Roosevelt forged over her 12 years serving as first lady until her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office. Read more
Fox News
Princess Diana Considered Becoming First Lady After American Politician Courted Her, Brother Claims
Sept. 24, 2026 – Princess Diana’s younger brother, Charles Spencer, released his memoir “Swan Song,” about the beloved royal this week, revealing new details about the late royal’s life behind palace walls. From claims about then-Prince Charles’ treatment of Diana to an American politician who reportedly courted her after her divorce, here are some of the memoir’s biggest revelations. Read more