2023 Tree from Monongahela National Forest Lit on West Lawn

The holiday season has officially begun, as the 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the Monongahela National Forest was lit during a public ceremony. The Architect of the Capitol welcomed Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV) and Alex Mooney (R-WV), essay contest winner Ethan Reese and the Richwood High School Marching Band.

This year’s tree is a 63-foot Norway spruce from the Greenbrier Ranger District in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest. The People’s Tree will be lit from dusk until 11 p.m. each evening through January 1, 2024. Visiting the tree is free and open to the public. No ticket is required.

Watch the ceremony