The 2026 White House Easter Egg Ticket Lottery is now open, offering families a chance to participate in the annual springtime celebration on the White House South Lawn. The lottery is free to enter and winners will be chosen by random system due to high demand.
Lottery timeline and key dates
Lottery Start: February 26, 2026 (12:00 PM ET)
Sweepstakes Deadline: March 4, 2026 (12:00 PM ET)
Declaration of Results: 10 March 2026
Event date: April 6, 2026
Applicants will be notified by email and successful participants will receive further instructions.
Rules and Ticket Eligibility
The lottery is free to enter ($0 entry fee).
Only one application per household is allowed.
Each entry must include at least one child (aged 13 and under) and one adult.
A maximum of two adults can apply for one entry.
Tickets are limited to six per household.
Applicants are advised to ensure their contact information is accurate as email is the primary method of communication for lottery updates.
How the lottery works
The lottery system is designed to ensure fairness and equal opportunity.
Random selection process
Applications are shuffled using the Fisher-Yates Shuffle algorithm and the Cryptographically Secure Pseudo Random Number Generator (CSPRNG). These tools are used to ensure that the results are unbiased and cannot be predicted.
The application process
Participants must:
Create a Recreation.gov account.
Enter the lottery in the application window.
Wait for the email notification of the results.
Successful applicants will receive instructions on how to proceed. Those not selected are encouraged to reapply for future lotteries.
The purpose of the lottery system
The lottery helps:
Handle the high demand for tickets
Protect and protect the White House grounds
Improve the visitor experience
Limiting participation through a structured process helps maintain safety and organization during the event.
About the roll of Easter eggs in the White House
The tradition dates back to the 1870s, when children gathered on Capitol Hill to roll eggs during Easter celebrations. After concerns about damage to the grounds, Congress restricted the use of the Capitol area in 1876.
In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes allowed children to keep the tradition of egg rolling at the White House, a custom that continues to this day. The event has grown into the largest annual gathering held at the White House and features games, live entertainment, storytelling, arts and crafts, and a traditional egg laying and hunt.
