Photo credit: Public Domain, found on Flickr.
Below are 10 of the top DC Area Easter Events in 2025 to enjoy with your family! I also included a couple of fun Easter treats for your kids' baskets.
DC Easter and Spring Events Table of Contents:
- Events that Require Advanced Tickets (7)
- No Advanced Tickets Needed (4)
- DC Themed Easter Basket Ideas
- DC Brunch Ideas
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Spring in D.C. is one of my favorite times as a mom—there’s just so much to do with the kids! From the White House Easter Egg Roll to local egg hunts in the city’s beautiful parks, there’s something magical about celebrating the season here. We love visiting the National Cherry Blossom Festival, where the pink blooms make the perfect backdrop for a family picnic. And when we want something more low-key, we check out local spring festivals, like the ones at the Smithsonian museums or the National Zoo, which always have kid-friendly crafts and activities. Whether it’s a big event on the National Mall or a neighborhood celebration, spring in D.C. is all about making memories with the family.
Easter Events Near Me in DC which Require Advanced Tickets
1) The White House Easter Egg Roll - The Iconic DC Easter Event
Photo credit: Public Domain, found on Flickr.
The White House Easter Egg Roll is indeed one of the most iconic Easter events in Washington DC, and its rich history and the variety of activities it offers make it a unique and highly anticipated annual celebration. The event is held on the South Lawn of the White House, where children and their families participate in the traditional egg roll and egg hunt, among many other activities designed to entertain and educate. The tradition dates back to 1878, when President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened the White House grounds to local children for egg rolling, a practice that had been previously held at the Capitol grounds.
White House Easter Roll Date: Monday, April 21, 2025
White House DC Easter Egg Roll Lottery Process
You enter a lottery online at Recreation.gov and then wait to hear if you were chosen. Once you are chosen, you will need to submit your ID and then go to the Easter Roll during your assigned time frame.
Lottery Link here
(be aware to only use the .gov website as there are other non-official websites out there!)
- Application fee: $0.00
- Lottery opens: Mar. 4, 2025 at 12pm (EST)
- Lottery closes: Mar. 10, 2025 at 12pm (EDT)
- Lottery results released: Mar. 18, 2025
- Event date: Apr. 21, 2025
2. Ride the Bunny Train on the Walkersville Southern in Maryland for a unique DC Easter Event
Photo from Walkersville Southern in Maryland
Just 1 hour from DC, check out the Walkersville Southern railroad's Bunny Train Rides! Visit with the Easter Bunny on the train who will have a small surprise for each child.
Tickets can be reserved on their website here. Rides are 1 hour and 10 minutes each.
** 2025 Tickets are already available. Recommend reserving ASAP as tickets sell fast**
2025 Dates: April 12, 13, 19 - 11 AM, 1:30 PM & 4 PM
Cost: Coach seats are $18 for kids ages 2-12 and $22 for 12 and up. There are also private caboose rental options.
3. Easter Treasure Hunt at O Street Museum Mansion
The O Street Museum in the Mansion held Easter Treasure Hunts in 2025 from March to. Check out their website here to reserve a time slot. I contacted the museum and they said it's fun for all ages.
Cost: $42 per person
Activities: "Don your favorite Easter bonnet and celebrate spring with a fun-filled treasure hunt at The Mansion! Search for special Easter & spring-themed items found only at The Mansion. Includes: Treasure Hunt, Easter Candy, Exploration of our themed rooms & secret doors. Prizes for best dressed and best Easter bonnet."
More about the Museum here.
4. Bunnyland at Butler’s Orchard, Maryland - (One of the Can't-Miss Easter Events!)
Bunnyland is back this year at Butler's Orchard in Germantown MD. So much to do! Giant Slides, Egg Hunt (eggs are NOT filled and are returned), Goodie Baskets for children under 12, 2 Hilltop Hop Jump Pads (New this year – an additional jump pad for children under 40″ tall.), Farm Animals in our Hayloft and Barnyard Buddies, Pedal Tractors, Combine Slide, Straw Pyramid, Farm Fun Zone(Ball Tosses, Cornhole, Horse Hoop Toss), Hayride through our decorated Day Trail, Country Bunny Character Photo Op.
Bunnyland Hours Easter Event:
April 12-13, 17-19, 21, 26-27
Closed Easter Sunday, April 20
Open Easter Monday, April 21
Hours: 9 am - 6 pm (Last entry 4 pm)
Cost: Online $12.00/Person and $15 at the Gate (Children Under 12 Months Free) Reservations are strongly recommended. Purchase here.
Additional Activities for added cost: Face painting, pony rides, and snacks.
5. Great Country Farms Easter Egg Hunt - One of the popular DC Area Easter Events
Photo from GreatCountryFarms.com
Dates: March 31 – April 19, 2025
We love Great Country Farms during the Fall but never knew they have Easter Egg Hunts! This year, they will have advanced tickets. Beyond the egg hunt, you can see the live animals, marshmallow picking for the bonfire, and wagon rides.
Cost: Admission is $10/child & $12/adult and then the Easter Egg Hunts are an add-on fee of $7.50 per child. More info and register here.
Egg Hunt Details:
- Separate 2 & 3-year-old area where adults may enter with their child
- The Egg Hunt Areas will be open from 9 am-3:30 pm and hunts start as each group of guests is ready to enter.
- Hunts Daily~ Thank you for entering the hunt area within 30 minutes of your arrival time
- Hunters must use our pick-your-own bucket to gather up to 25 treat-filled eggs to gather in the bucket (recycle your bucket & eggs here at the farm.)
- Marshmallow Roasting is available from 10 am-3 pm next to the Egg Hunt Areas and included with Farm Admission.
- Roosteraunt Concession Stand open Weekends 11 am-3 pm
6. Fairfax Parks Baskets and Bunnies - DC Area Easter Event
Will update for 2025!
Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025
Location: Burke Lake Park
Tickets: Baskets & Bunnies Amusements Tickets can be purchased separately through Parktakes for timed slot (Separate slots for ages 1-4 and 5-7)
Hop on down to Burke Lake Park and get egg-cited to participate in a timed egg hunt.
Cost: $5 through two days before the event. Limited activity tickets will be available on the day of the event.
Time slots available starting 10:45 a.m.
7. Tulip Farm at Burnside Farms Spring Event
Our family's favorite spring tradition is to go to the Tulip fields at Burnside Farms! I wrote all about it in a blog post here. We've loved going for the past 3 years.
Their Festival of Spring dates will announced about a week before because it is based on the blooms. Their website is here for tickets.
Easter Events that Do No Require Advanced Tickets
8. Easter Egg Hunt at Potomac Overlook in Arlington Virginia
Dates: 2024 dates, working on getting 2025. Join us any day from March 23rd-24th, and March 26th – 31, 2024 anytime between 11 am and 4 pm to take part in this ongoing event.
Visit Potomac Overlook Park in Arlington and stop into the Nature Center to purchase a map and answer sheet for $8 per participating child. Use the map to find the wooden eggs. Then return to the nature center to receive a prize. No registration is necessary!
More info here!
9. Easter Monday at the National Zoo - TBD on 2024 Dates but Easter Monday is April 21, 2025
Easter Monday at the National Zoo is a long-standing Washington tradition that dates back to the 1880s. This event includes an Easter egg roll down the zoo’s Lion-Tiger Hill, picnicking, and has become especially significant for the DC-area African American community, drawing as many as 55,000 attendees in 1919. The choice of Easter Monday historically allowed many African Americans, who worked as servants and had the day off, to participate in these festivities. Here's a great article about it in the Smithsonian Magazine.
A couple of years ago the National Zoo held events on Eater Monday but I don't see any planned for 2024. Regardless, it's a great day to enjoy the Zoo!
Make sure to reserve your entry pass and check out my FREE Family Trip Guide to the Zoo!
Animal Feedings on a Typical Day at the Zoo:
- 10 a.m: Tortoise Feeding |Reptile Discovery Center, River Otter Enrichment | American Trail
- 10:30 a.m. Elephant Demonstration
- 11 a.m. Tiger Feeding | Great Cats Circle
- 1 p.m. Beaver Feeding | American Trail Elephant Demonstration
- 1:30 p.m. Small Mammal Enrichment | Small Mammal House Komodo Dragon and Crocodile Monitor Egg Hunt | Reptile Discovery Center Maned Wolf Enrichment | American Trail
10. Occoquan Peep Week & Hunt - April 15 - 19, 2025
Picture from Occoquanva.gov
Check out the cute town of Occoquan, VA for their 2024 Peep Week where businesses around Occoquan will display creative dioramas using Peeps! You can vote at Town Hall. Check out the town's website here for all the info.
I will check when their 2024 Easter Hunt with the Easter Bunny will be. Bring your own basket and register ahead of time. Tickets are $5 per child and required.
11. Meadowlark Botanical Garden 2025 Spring Egg Hunt
From the Garden: Enjoy a delightful Spring Egg Hunt adventure available on select days in April 2025 at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens! Embark on a self-guided hunt through the gardens as you search for treasures – giant eggs! The fun is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3!
- Start your quest at the Visitor Center where you’ll receive your egg scavenger hunt sheet, your key to unlocking the fun.
- Hop along winding paths through the Spring gardens. When you find a giant egg, draw its design on your egg hunt sheet.
- Once you have found all of the eggs, show your completed egg hunt sheet to our staff and receive an EGGcellent prize!
The Spring Egg Hunt is $8 per egg hunter which includes garden admission. Regular garden admission ($4-$8) or garden memberships apply to those accompanying the egg hunters. All fees are paid at the door. All ages are welcome.
DC Themed Treats for Easter Baskets
- Adorable Board Book - The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Washington, D.C.
- Bunny Hat with Moving Ears - My Daughter has this hat and loves it!
- The Children's Place Easter P.J.s - Currently on a big sale for some sizes!
- 18 Pack Easter Sidewalk Chalk Set - Great for Easter baskets and neighbor treats
- 6 Pack Science Experiments in Easter Eggs - including Gravity Goo, Water Gel & Super Snow (for ages 8 and up) Looking to get these for my kids this year!
Brunches in DC for Easter
I highly recommend reserving your Easter or Easter Monday Brunch at least 2 weeks in advance. Here is a blog post on kid-friendly DC restaurants and I highly recommend Opaline at the Sofitel Hotel pictured below! Fancy sit-down but very friendly towards kids!
And more Spring fun on the Best of Playgrounds in DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland.
And if you want even more Spring events, check out this post on where to see 10 different flowers in DC.
Also, the Kite Festival as a part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held on the Saturday before Easter this year so check it out as a fun activity!
Full List of DC Easter Events Near Me
- White House Easter Egg Roll - DC
- Bunny Train - Walkersville, MD
- Easter Treasure Hunt at O Street Museum Mansion - Washington, DC
- Bunnyland at Butler's Orchard - Germantown, Maryland
- Tulip Picking at Burnside Farms - Nokesville, Virginia
- Egg Hunt at Potomac Overlook - Arlington, Virginia
- Easter Monday at the National Zoo - Washington, DC
- Occoquan Peep Week & Hunt - Occoquan, Virginia
- Great Country Farms Easter Egg Hunt - Bluemont, Virginia
- Meadowlark Botanical Garden Spring Egg Hunt - Vienna, Virginia
- Spring Activities Category Page
