Laura Bush selected A Season of Merriment and Melody as the White House holiday theme in 2004, weaving holiday music and traditional Christmas carols throughout the White House decor. The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum brings this celebration back to life in the new exhibit, A Season of Merriment and Melody: Christmas at the White House 2004.

In preparation for the 2004 holiday tours, White House residence staff designed and crafted vignettes depicting classic holiday songs, including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “Jingle Bells.” The vignettes were displayed on mantels and pier tables throughout the White House, alongside more than 41 flocked trees that created a winter wonderland on the state floor. This year, 12 of these vignettes will be displayed in the special exhibit, presented in much the same order White House guests would have experienced.

In addition to behind-the-scenes photographs and videos, visitors will also enjoy a reproduction of the stunning 2004 Blue Room decorations, including an 18-foot tall Christmas tree. Members of the Society of Decorative Painters, representing all 50 states, meticulously hand-painted 350 miniature drums, violins, and harps, among other musical instruments, to adorn the White House tree in 2004. The ornaments displayed in the special exhibit are a selection of those that originally graced the Noble fir on the White House state floor.