The Ellipse is a 52-acre open park located directly south of the White House, formally known as President’s Park South. It features a large, flat grassy area surrounded by an oval roadway, and it sits between the White House grounds to the north and the National Mall to the south. Managed by the National Park Service, the Ellipse serves as a public green space, a venue for national events, and home to several monuments and memorials.
Location and Layout
The Ellipse occupies the southern half of President’s Park, with the White House and its South Lawn sloping gradually down toward the park’s open grounds. The oval drive that gives the Ellipse its name loops around the central grassy area, bounded roughly by 15th Street to the east, 17th Street to the west, Constitution Avenue to the south, and E Street to the north. Sherman Park sits in the northeast corner, and the First Division Monument stands in the northwest corner.
If you’re walking the full loop around the oval drive, it makes for a pleasant route with clear sightlines to the Washington Monument to the south and the White House to the north. The National Park Service maintains a “Southern Trail” that begins at the White House Visitor Center and proceeds clockwise around the grounds.
Origins in the L’Enfant Plan
The land has been associated with the White House since the very beginning of Washington, D.C. Pierre Charles L’Enfant identified this location in 1791 as the site for a park connected to the president’s residence. He envisioned a broad swath of green linking the White House with the National Mall and called the entire stretch “President’s Park.” The southern portion evolved into what we now call the Ellipse, and President’s Park South has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980, classified as a designed cultural landscape of national significance.
Before the federal city existed, this land belonged to private landowners. A monument on the grounds honors the original eighteen patentees who held land grants covering the site of the future capital prior to 1700. The Daughters of the American Colonists erected that memorial in April 1936, and its base lists names and dates going back to 1663.
Monuments and Landmarks on the Grounds
Several notable monuments are scattered across the Ellipse, each marking a different chapter of American history.
- Zero Milestone: Dedicated on June 4, 1923, this small stone marker symbolically serves as the official starting point for measuring highway distances from Washington, D.C. The Lee Highway Association presented it as a gift to the city.
- Boy Scout Memorial: Sculpted by Donald De Lue and dedicated on November 7, 1964, this bronze statue honors the Boy Scouts of America.
- First Division Monument: Located in the northwest corner, this column commemorates soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division.
- Original Patentees of DC Monument: The 1936 memorial honoring the colonial-era landholders whose property became the District of Columbia.
The National Christmas Tree
The Ellipse’s most famous annual tradition is the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. It started in 1923 when First Lady Grace Coolidge gave permission for the District of Columbia Public Schools to put up a Christmas tree on the Ellipse. That Christmas Eve, President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the grounds and pushed a button to light a 48-foot balsam fir in front of about 3,000 spectators. The organizers named it the “National Christmas Tree,” and the tradition stuck.
From 1924 to 1953, the ceremony moved around to various spots on and near the White House grounds. In 1954 it returned to the Ellipse permanently and expanded in scope. Today, the annual Pageant of Peace includes the large National Christmas Tree along with smaller trees representing each state and territory, and the lighting ceremony draws tens of thousands of visitors each December.
Public Use and Events
The Ellipse is one of the few spots in the National Capital Region where the National Park Service can issue permits for special events. Federal regulations designate it as an approved location for sports events, pageants, celebrations, festivals, parades, and similar gatherings. Organized sports like baseball, football, and softball require a permit, which you can request through the Division of Permits Management at National Mall and Memorial Parks. Applications need to be submitted at least 48 hours in advance.
The park’s central location and open sightlines have also made it a natural gathering point for political demonstrations. During the Vietnam War era, a major anti-war rally filled the Ellipse on May 9, 1970, organized by the New National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. Demonstrators spilled over onto the National Mall afterward, cooling off in the nearby reflecting pools. Political rallies, inaugurations, and large-scale protests have used the space regularly throughout the decades since.
How It’s Managed
The Ellipse falls under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service as part of the White House and President’s Park unit, one of over 400 park sites the agency administers. Congress transferred responsibility for preserving and maintaining the White House grounds, including the Ellipse, to the National Park Service in 1961. Day-to-day upkeep includes maintaining the turf, the oval roadway, the monuments, and the mature trees that line the perimeter.
For visitors, the Ellipse is open and free to walk through year-round. It connects naturally with other major sites: the White House Visitor Center sits nearby, the Washington Monument is a short walk south across Constitution Avenue, and Lafayette Park lies on the opposite side of the White House to the north. If you’re touring the National Mall area on foot, the Ellipse is worth crossing through for its views of the White House South Portico alone.