Christmas at the White House
See how different presidents celebrated with new Holiday exhibit at Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

[November 13, 2017] 

SPRINGFIELD

From sending formal cards to celebrating in Palm Springs to hanging Abraham Lincoln ornaments, America’s presidents have marked Christmas in ways that reflect their personalities. Those celebrations are the focus of a new exhibit opening next month at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

“Holidays at the White House: A Presidential Christmas” opens Nov. 17 and runs through Jan. 7. It features photos and original artifacts from four administrations: Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

The special exhibit is free with regular admission to the Lincoln museum (212 N. 6th Street, Springfield).

The presidential library will once again offer families a chance to snap holiday photos with our gorgeous decorations. From Nov. 22 through Dec. 31, people will be allowed into the museum after 4 p.m. at no charge to take a few quick photos in the main plaza.

And on the day after Thanksgiving, the presidential library presents “Fun, Frosty Friday,” a day of free games and children’s activities for anyone looking for an alternative to shopping madness. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., activities will include a life-sized game of “Candyland,” a magic show and learning about the ice age.

“Holidays at the White House: A Presidential Christmas” gathers unique items from the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Clinton and George W. Bush presidential libraries. Visitors will see Lincoln-themed decorations, family photos, gifts received by the presidents, official Christmas cards, a White House menorah and more.Which president had a “Dogs love Christmas too!” stocking? Who got an elegant globe-shaped clock from his cabinet secretaries? Who displayed a model of Lincoln’s Springfield home? The exhibit reveals all the answers.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to telling the story of America’s 16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology.

The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history.

Learn more at www.PresidentLincoln .illinois.gov 

[Christopher Wills]