White House highlights ‘new helipad,’ beehive as part of fall garden tours

The White House is touting its “new helipad” as one of the sights visitors can admire during the just-announced fall garden tours that are open to the public.

The free, biannual tours traditionally take place in the spring and fall.

This year, the gardens and grounds of the White House will be open on Oct. 17-18 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“Throughout the tour, guests will enjoy the beauty of the South Lawn, the Rose Garden, the White House Kitchen Garden, the expanded White House Beehive, and the new helipad,” first lady Melania Trump’s office said in a Tuesday announcement.

The gardens, the White House said, “provide guests with a unique glimpse into the grounds that have served as a backdrop throughout our nation’s 250 years of history.”

President Trump announced earlier this month that construction on the granite landing pad on the South Lawn he had ordered for Marine One was complete. Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, covered the cost of the $6 million helipad project, according to the president.

In April, Melania Trump helped unveil a beehive installed on the White House’s South Lawn that was crafted to look like a mini version of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

While the sweater weather-timed tours are free, tickets are required for all attendees.

Timed tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis by the National Park Service on the days of the garden tours beginning at 8:30 a.m. outside the White House Visitor Center.