The White House Rose Garden has existed in some form since the dawn of the 20th century, originally intended as a tranquil space for the first family to enjoy some fresh air. The modern-day Rose Garden, though, dates back to the presidency of John F. Kennedy, when he and Jackie reimagined it as a bright green venue capable of hosting official events.
Related: See Every Era of the White House Rose Garden, Including the Famed Kennedy Redesign & the Trumps’ Concrete Overhaul
Beginning in 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first term, the Rose Garden has undergone a series of changes that mark the most significant departure from JFK’s vision, including the second-term addition of a Mar-a-Lago–inspired patio and gold signage.
Below, every stage of Trump’s expansive Rose Garden renovations, in photos.
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June 2017: The Rose Garden When Trump Took Office
A view of the Rose Garden on June 3, 2017, before President Donald Trump’s renovations
Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty
The Rose Garden lawn was a fixture of the White House since the Kennedy administration, receiving only minor updates in the decades between JFK’s presidency and Trump’s.
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August 2020: Trumps Change the Plants, Add Limestone Border
A view of the Rose Garden in August 2020 after the Trumps’ first-term renovations
Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty
Before leaving office in January 2021, Donald and Melania Trump implemented some controversial changes to the Rose Garden, changing up the flower beds, removing the Kennedys’ crabapple trees and narrowing the lawn to add a limestone perimeter.
Related: Melania Trump Fires Back at Presidential Historian Who Criticized Her White House Rose Garden Renovations
03 of 10
June 2025: The Kennedy-Era Lawn Is Torn Up
Construction begins on the Rose Garden lawn, pictured on June 18, 2025
Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Months after returning to office for a second, non-consecutive term, Trump surprised the nation when photos captured construction crews tearing up the historic Rose Garden lawn. At the time, a White House official described the construction as a “restoration” in a statement to PEOPLE, saying Donald and Melania “have deep respect for the history of the White House and for the Rose Garden.”
“This restoration to the Rose Garden preserves the beauty of the space and builds on the work done in 2020,” the official said, “with a focus on enhancing practical use and guest experience for those attending special events.”
Related: Trumps Cover Rose Garden Patio with Fake Grass for White House Easter Event After Tearing Up the Lawn
04 of 10
July 2025: Trump Adds Stone Pavers Where the Lawn Was
A patio that replaced the lawn is shown nearly completed on July 29, 2025
Credit: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty
By late July, the lawn was gone and a patio made of stone pavers had been installed in its place.
Related: A Timeline of Donald Trump’s Shocking Changes to the White House Since He Took Office in 2025
05 of 10
September 2025: The ‘Rose Garden Club’ Opens
Trump hosts guests at the ‘Rose Garden Club’ on Oct. 21, 2025
Credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty
In September, the president held his first official event at what he dubbed “The Rose Garden Club,” after setting up tables, patio chairs and striped umbrellas from the same vendor he used at Mar-a-Lago.
Related: White House Rose Garden Patio Now Features Umbrellas from Mar-a-Lago, and Trump’s Press Secretary Shares Melania’s Thoughts
06 of 10
September 2025: Trump Installs a ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’
Trump shows the Saudi Crown Prince his incomplete ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’ on Nov. 18, 2025
Credit: Win McNamee/Getty
Trump turned the West Colonnade, which frames the northern edge of the Rose Garden, into a “Presidential Walk of Fame” in September 2025 when he adorned the walls with a portrait of every former president — except for Joe Biden. In Biden’s place he framed a photo of an autopen device, which he has baselessly accused his predecessor’s staff of using to sign executive orders on the president’s behalf.
07 of 10
December 2025: Trump Adds Plaques Under Presidents’ Portraits
Partisan plaques are installed under each president’s portrait on Dec. 17, 2025
Credit: Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty
In December, Trump completed his “Presidential Walk of Fame” project by adding plaques beneath each president’s portrait that describe their legacies from his point of view.
The heavily partisan plaques describe President Barack Obama as “one of the most divisive political figures in American history” who “crippled small businesses” and “spied on the 2016 Presidential Campaign of Donald J. Trump.” Of Biden, they say, “Nicknamed both ‘Sleepy’ and ‘Crooked,’ Joe Biden was dominated by his Radical Left handlers,” also calling him “by far, the worst President in American History.” For President Ronald Reagan, a plaque reads that the popular Republican president “was a fan of President Donald J. Trump.”
Related: Trump Installs New White House ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’ Plaques Labeled ‘Barack Hussein Obama’ and ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’
08 of 10
January 2026: Trump Adds a Sign Labeling the Rose Garden
A sign reading ‘The Rose Garden’ appears above the West Colonnade in January 2026
Credit: Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Trump altered the exterior of the West Colonnade after completing his “Presidential Walk of Fame,” adding self-explanatory gold lettering above the garden’s rose bushes that reads, “The Rose Garden.”
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April 2026: A Revolutionary War Statue Appears
Freedom’s Charge, a bronze sculpture of the Revolutionary War, sits in the Rose Garden on May 21, 2026
Credit: Al Drago/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty
In 2026, a couple of statues began cycling onto the Rose Garden patio. “Freedom’s Charge,” a bronze, Revolutionary War-themed sculpture by presidential portrait artist Chas Fagan, was moved from Dallas to the Rose Garden in the spring and has become the centerpiece for events, luncheons and even King Charles’ historic state visit.
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April 2026: Shiny Black Tiles Are Added to the West Colonnade
A black granite walkway with shiny borders appears in the West Colonnade on April 30, 2026
Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty
In March 2026, tarps were draped over the West Colonnade and construction crews moved into the Rose Garden area once again, as Trump explained his plan to install “beautiful, black granite” on the floor of the covered walkway, which was previously covered with Tennessee Flagstone pavers.
The completed new look was photographed weeks later, showing dark tiles with shiny borders beneath the “Presidential Walk of Fame.” Trump said he wanted to create a “great contrast” between the white walls of the colonnade and the ground.
Read the original article on People
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