White House art.

Date: November 30, 2007
Contact: Public Affairs, Washington Office

America’s national parks are the focus of this year’s elaborate White House holiday decorations. The remarkable displays of “Holiday in the National Parks” highlight the majesty, history, and diversity of the country’s 391 National Park Service sites.

“It is an amazing honor for the National Park Service to be selected as the theme for the White House holiday decorations by the President and Mrs. Bush,” said Director Bomar. “Mrs. Bush is the best champion for our national parks, and the beautiful decorations in each state room showcase the natural and historical treasures found in parks throughout the country.”

The holiday displays incorporate the wide variety of natural, cultural, and recreational features preserved by the National Park Service. Models of icons such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Statue of Liberty share space with paintings of scenic vistas from Grand Canyon, Zion, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. Holiday garlands intertwined with park objects including seashells, pine cones, and gold aspen leaves add to each room’s festive feel.  

The official White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room is adorned with hundreds of handmade ornaments depicting national parks. “Each ornament on the magnificent 18-foot Fraser fir was designed by an artist selected by the park,” said Bomar. “The ornaments tell the stories of our parks, just as our parks tell the stories of our nation.”

Another visitor highlight is a scaled-down, but architecturally accurate, gingerbread reproduction of the south view of the White House, a unit of the National Park Service. Bush family pets Barney, Miss Beazley, and Willie can be seen frolicking on the lawn with moose, elk, raccoons, and other animals found in national parks. 

“National Parks commemorate the people, places, and events that define the American experience,” said Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. “I am so appreciative of President Bush’s efforts to recognize the important role of national parks in American society. Our country will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and the President has been instrumental in establishing a Centennial Initiative to prepare the parks for the next century.”

Be sure to check out the White House’s fine web page on this display. Click on “More Information” below for a link. When on the main page, be sure to click on the following additional links:

• “2007 Holiday Program” at upper right will take you through a narrative on the full display
• “2007 Holiday Ornaments from the Fifty States” at center right will take you to a photo essay containing a sampling of the ornaments submitted (one from a park in each state)
• “Holiday in the National Parks,” just below the link to the ornaments, will take you to some historic photographs of Presidents and First Families in the national parks
• “Fact Sheet: White House Holiday Decoration” at bottom provides details on all aspects of the decorations

More Information