Don’t stop by the White House to trick-or-treat this Halloween

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Decorations are seen during a Halloween at the White House event two years ago.

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet a young child dressed as the Pope and riding in a «Popemobile» as he hands out treats to children trick-or-treating for Halloween on the South Lawn of the White House on Oct. 30, 2015.

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In 2015, President Obama was brought to laughter when he met a child dressed as the Pope and riding in a «Popemobile.» He declared «Lil’ Pope» the winning costume that year.

Top prize goes to Lil' Pope. #HappyHalloween https://t.co/WJo1nYUWup

— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) October 30, 2015

Halloween celebrations at the White House first began when first lady Mamie Eisenhower decorated the White House with skeletons, yellow jack-o’-lanterns and dried corn in 1958. She hosted lunch for staff members’ wives in the State Dining Room.

The White House’s north entrance was converted into the mouth of a 17-foot tall pumpkin in 1969 during the Nixon administration. As 250 local children walked through, they were welcomed by witches stirring cauldrons.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump host Halloween at the White House on the South Lawn on Oct. 30, 2017. The first couple gave cookies away to costumed trick-or-treaters.

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump also welcomed school children and military families to trick-or-treat on the White House grounds every year in office. In 2017, they decorated with large spiders and spiderwebs, pumpkins and haystacks.

Tien Le is an intern on NPR’s News Desk.