South of the White House grounds, the Ellipse opens as a large oval park crossed by paths. It appears peaceful now — green, open, crossed by paths — but this ground has witnessed some of the most consequential and troubling moments in modern American history.
The Ellipse has long been Washington's great outdoor gathering space. During World War Two, it hosted tens of thousands of spectators for Christmas tree lighting ceremonies even as the rest of the city was under blackout restrictions. The March on Washington assembled here before proceeding to the Lincoln Memorial.
On January 6, 2021, President Donald Trump stood on a stage near the north end of this ellipse and addressed a crowd of tens of thousands, urging them to march to the Capitol where Congress was certifying the presidential election results. Within hours, the Capitol was stormed for the first time since the British burned it in 1814.
More peacefully: every December, the National Christmas Tree is lit here in a ceremony that has drawn presidents and crowds since the 1920s.
The Zero Milestone stands at the north end of the Ellipse — a small granite marker designating the official point from which road distances from Washington are calculated. It's one of those small, overlooked monuments that sits unnoticed beside one of the most powerful buildings on earth.
Look north toward the White House. Turn and look south toward the Washington Monument. You are standing at the precise center of L'Enfant's original city plan.