Christmas in Washington DC 2026: Tree Lighting Dates

Christmas in Washington DC 2026, as of 4 November: posted are the National Christmas Tree lighting (3 December), the Capitol tree's arrival (20 November, 10 a.m.) and ZooLights (20 November to 3 January). Not posted yet are the Capitol tree lighting date, the start time on 3 December and the Union Station tree lighting.

Christmas in Washington DC 2026 has two tree lightings and one ticketed light show. The National Christmas Tree lighting, which people call the White House tree lighting, is on 3 December 2026. The Capitol Christmas Tree arrives on 20 November, and its lighting date is still "to be announced". ZooLights runs 20 November to 3 January for $10. Where a date is from 2025, we say so.

What are the DC Christmas tree lighting dates for 2026?

Where tickets come in:

• National Christmas Tree lighting: the free ticket lottery on recreation.gov closed on 4 November at 3 p.m. ET. Without a ticket, watch the premiere on 5 December, or visit the tree site on a later day. No ticket is needed for that.

• Capitol Christmas Tree: the Architect of the Capitol says visiting is free and needs no ticket.

• ZooLights: $10 general ticket, sold for one date.

So, the lottery is over, and the one thing left to book is your ZooLights night.

When is the Capitol Christmas Tree lighting in 2026?

Note: The 2026 Capitol Christmas Tree is a 76-foot Engelmann spruce from the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. The Architect of the Capitol chose it with the US Forest Service. It travels by truck and arrives at the Capitol on Friday 20 November at 10 a.m. The lighting ceremony on the West Front Lawn has its date "to be announced" (Architect of the Capitol, "Coming Soon: the 2026 Capitol Christmas Tree", 2 Nov 2026, read 4 Nov 2026)

Address: The tree stands on the West Front Lawn of the US Capitol (same page)

Hours: The tree is lit from dusk until 11 p.m. each evening through early January 2027 (same page)

Price: Visiting the tree is free and open to the public, with no ticket (same page)

Subway: The US Capitol Police lists three Metro stations within walking distance of Capitol Hill: Capitol South (First Street between C and D Streets SE), Federal Center SW (Third and D Streets SW) and Union Station (First Street NW and Massachusetts Avenue). It gives no walking times (US Capitol Police, read 4 Nov 2026)

In 2025 the Capitol tree was lit on Tuesday 2 December at 5 p.m. (Architect of the Capitol, 2025 news page, read 12 Oct 2026). That is last year's date, not a 2026 date. The Architect of the Capitol says the lighting tradition is more than 60 years old. We will add the 2026 date when it is posted.

So, plan for early December, but do not book around a Capitol date until it is official.

When is the National Christmas Tree lighting in 2026?

The National Christmas Tree lighting is the event people call the White House tree lighting. The tree stands on the Ellipse, just south of the White House, at 15th Street NW and E Street NW.

Note: The 2026 lighting is on Thursday 3 December. In-person tickets were free by lottery on recreation.gov. The lottery opened 28 October at 10 a.m. ET and closed 4 November at 3 p.m. ET. Winners are told on 12 November. Each winner could get up to 5 tickets, with one entry per household, and everyone at the ceremony needs a ticket, infants included (thenationaltree.org, the recreation.gov lottery page and the NPS page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: No ticket? The ceremony premieres nationwide on 5 December on the National Park Foundation's YouTube channel and on other national and local media channels (thenationaltree.org, read 4 Nov 2026)

Address: The tree site is on the Ellipse at President's Park, south of the White House (NPS President's Park page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Hours: The official site says the grounds are open to the public from 5 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 in one place, and from 7 December in another. The lights turn on near sunset each evening. The ceremony's start time is not posted. The recreation.gov page says to ask the White House Visitor Center (202-208-1631) for times (thenationaltree.org and recreation.gov, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: No fee to visit the tree site (NPS President's Park page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Subway: The NPS names Federal Triangle (Blue, Orange and Silver lines) as the closest Metro station to the White House, and also lists Metro Center (Red, Blue, Orange and Silver lines). The Ronald Reagan Building garage, one block from the White House Visitor Center, is open 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. and charges $14 for 1 hour up to $38 for a weekday (NPS directions page, read 4 Nov 2026)

The NPS page says the tradition began on Christmas Eve 1923, when President Calvin Coolidge lit a 48-foot balsam fir from Vermont with 2,500 electric bulbs. In 2025 the America Celebrates display put 59 smaller trees around the big one, with ornaments for the 56 states and territories and other school groups.

Visiting the tree is free and needs no ticket. Only the lighting ceremony needed a lottery ticket, and that lottery is now closed.

So, if you did not win a ticket, watch on 5 December and visit the tree on a later evening.

How much are ZooLights tickets in 2026?

Hours: 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Monday to Saturday 5 to 9 p.m., Sunday 5 to 8 p.m. Last entry is 30 minutes before close (Smithsonian's National Zoo, read 4 Nov 2026)

Price: General ticket $10. Adults-only night on Wednesday 16 December, 5 to 9 p.m., is $19, for ages 21 and over, with one free drink. Children 3 and older need a ticket. Children 2 and under are free (same page)

Note: Member nights are Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 December, with up to 6 free tickets per member. Tickets are not refundable, but you can exchange them up to 48 hours before. Tickets may not be resold (same page)

Price: Extras inside: winter maze $6, the National Zoo Choo Choo $6, the Conservation Carousel $6 (weather permitting), festive glasses $3. Carolers sing on Saturdays 5, 12, 19 and 26 December, included with entry (same page)

Address: Main vehicle entrance: 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Parking is $30 in advance and $40 on the day. Daytime parking passes are not valid for ZooLights (same page)

ZooLights is separate from the zoo's day hours, which are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with last entry at 3 p.m. Tickets are for a date, so pick your night before you pay.

So, ZooLights is the one December event in this guide where you must buy ahead.

Is there a Union Station tree lighting in 2026?

Not posted yet. Union Station's own events page listed the 29th annual Norwegian Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday 2 December 2025 at 6 p.m. in the Main Hall, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE. It was free and open to the public. On 4 November 2026 the station's home page had a "Celebrate the Season" holiday banner and said it has extended holiday hours, but no 2026 tree lighting was listed on its events page.

Address: Main Hall, Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE. The station is open 24 hours for ticketed passengers (Union Station, home page and 2025 event page, read 4 Nov 2026)

The station is on the Red Line and is one of the three Metro stops the Capitol Police lists for Capitol Hill, so it pairs well with the Capitol tree.

So, treat the Union Station tree as a bonus stop until the 2026 date is posted.

How do you get to the trees and ZooLights by Metro?

Price: Metrorail fares: weekdays 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. $2.25 to $6.75 ($1.10 to $3.35 reduced). Weekday evenings after 9:30 p.m. and weekends $2.25 to $2.50 ($1.10 to $1.25 reduced). Metrobus $2.25 (WMATA fares page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: Up to two children age 4 and under ride free with each paying adult. A bus-to-rail or rail-to-bus transfer within 2 hours gets a $2.25 discount on SmarTrip or contactless payment (same page)

Price: 1-day Metro Rail and Metro Bus pass $13.50. 7-day pass $60.75 (WMATA passes page, read 12 Oct 2026; that page was not found on 4 Nov 2026)

Getting there: Use SmarTrip on your phone or card, or a contactless bank card. You tap at the faregate when you enter and when you leave, with the same card both times (WMATA fares page)

The stops, from the official pages:

1. National Christmas Tree: Federal Triangle or Metro Center, says the NPS.

2. Capitol tree: Capitol South, Federal Center SW or Union Station, says the Capitol Police.

3. ZooLights: Cleveland Park or Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan on the Red Line. The zoo says each is about half a mile away. The walk from Woodley Park is a moderate uphill, and the zoo suggests Cleveland Park for people with mobility issues. The D70 Metrobus (formerly the L2) stops at the main entrance on Connecticut Avenue (National Zoo directions, read 4 Nov 2026).

None of these pages gives walking minutes. ZooLights closes at 9 p.m., so check the trip planner for the last train on your night.

So, the Red Line to Cleveland Park is the easy way to ZooLights, and Federal Triangle is the closest stop for the National Christmas Tree.

Do non-citizens living in the US need anything special for this trip?

No. Washington is a domestic trip, so there is no entry rule. Carry your own US status papers, such as your green card, or your passport and I-94 if you are on a visa. Fly or ride Amtrak as you would on any US trip. The same applies to Indian, Filipino and Chinese passport holders. Our Puerto Rico guide has the TSA and USCIS sources on ID for non-citizens, with dates.

So, a non-citizen living in the US needs only the usual travel ID for this trip.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 4 November 2026:

• thenationaltree.org: 3 December ceremony, 5 December premiere, lottery dates, grounds dates.

• The recreation.gov lottery page: 5 tickets per household, tickets for infants too. Read just after the 3 p.m. ET close, it still said the lottery was open.

• The NPS news release of 19 October 2026 on the ticket lottery.

• The NPS President's Park page on the National Christmas Tree: no fee, history, 2025 display.

• The NPS White House directions page: Metro stations, garage hours and rates.

• The Architect of the Capitol's 2026 Capitol Christmas Tree notice, dated 2 November 2026: arrival, nightly hours, free entry, lighting date to be announced.

• The US Capitol Police getting to Capitol Hill page: Metro stations.

• The Smithsonian's National Zoo ZooLights page and parking and directions page.

• WMATA's fares page.

• Union Station's home page, its events page and its 2025 tree lighting page.

Checked on 12 October 2026: the Architect of the Capitol's 2025 news page and WMATA's passes page.

Not confirmed: the Capitol tree's 2026 lighting date, the start time of the 3 December lighting, the first day the National Christmas Tree site opens (the official site gives both 5 and 7 December), daily tree hours, 2026 Metro pass prices, last train times, walking minutes from any station, and the 2026 Union Station tree lighting. The zoo page's hidden event data gives a ZooLights start of 26 November while its visible text says 20 November, so check your date when you buy. We did not visit Washington for this page.