Attention Kids: No Stun Guns at Easter Egg Roll

ByABC News
April 11, 2001, 11:37 AM

W A S H I N G T O N, April 11 -- The colorful admission tickets to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll show how far the event has come since its early days of open public access to the South Lawn every Easter Monday.

On the front of the ticket, playful cartoon bunnies are shown romping across the presidential back yard. But on the flip side, there's a security warning about what cannot be carried in through the gates in the Easter baskets of the children, ages 6 and under, who are the main guests:

Aerosols of any kind

Fireworks/firecrackers

Animals (except for guide dogs)

Food of any kind

Backpacks (oversized)

Guns/Ammunition

Balloons

Knives with blades over 3 inches

Beverages of any kind

Mace

Chewing gum

Nunchucks

Duffel bags/suitcases

Smoking

Electric stun guns

President Rutherford B. Hayes launched the annual White House Easter Egg Roll tradition back in 1878. This year's event is slated to be held Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET.

Among the invited guests will be children's book author Mary Jane Auch, who has been asked to read her book, The Easter Egg Farm. Author William Joyce also has been asked to read from Bently and Egg and Rolie Polie Olie.

Tickets to the South Lawn event, which is expected to attract more than 25,000 people, are free to the public and will be made available by the National Park Service on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. at the Ellipse Visitor Pavillion, at 15th and E streets near the White House. There is a limit of six tickets per person, with a maximum of three adults.

Additional tickets will be made available on Monday starting at 7 a.m.

More information is available from the White House Visitors Office 24-hour phone line at 202-456-7041.