KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Among the more than 83,000 lights, 77 Christmas trees and 25 wreaths decorating the White House, a scene from East Tennessee can be found.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was featured in this year’s holiday decorations. On a mantel within the East Room of the White House, a view of the Smokies can be seen. “This perfectly depicts the ridges of forests, diverse plant and animal life, and the beauty of the Smokies,” the park wrote on social media.
“We are honored that The White House featured Great Smoky Mountains National Park in this year’s beautiful East Room decorations!” wrote GSMNP on their Facebook Page.
The Smoky Mountains is one of four national parks to be featured in this year’s decorations.
The other fireplace mantels in the East Room show scenes from Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Shenandoah National Park. The room also features a portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt “who helped establish 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves, five national parks and 18 national monuments on over 230 million acres of public lands,” according to the White House.
The theme of this year’s decorations is “We the People.” First Lady Jill Biden said she was inspired by the people she met while traveling around the country and by the nation’s founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. A part of her travels included a stop in Knoxville earlier this year. Biden joined with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in September to kick off the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour. While in the city, the first lady met with many teachers and parents.
This is not the first time National Parks have been celebrated by the White House during the holidays. In 2007, the theme was “Holiday in the National Parks.” For this year, a tree in the Blue Room was covered in handmade ornaments representing the country’s 391 National Park Service sites.

Around 50,000 visitors are expected to visit the White House for the holidays. To learn how to visit the White House and see the Smokies display for yourself, click here.