Woodrow Wilson House

Still taking this in.

What stays with us is not just the evening, but the conversations, how people connected with the piece, paused, asked, and shared their own stories.

At Fashioning Power, Fashioning Peace, being part of a room with voices from across the world was a reminder of what design can do when it is created with intention.

For us at House Of Alkara , this was never just about presenting a piece.

It was about representing a way of thinking where art, culture, and craft come together quietly, yet meaningfully.

Grateful for the space, and for how the work was received.

The Woodrow Wilson House is delighted to announce Design Meets Diplomacy: Fashioning Power, After Hours.

Join us on Tuesday, April 28 for a second celebration of Fashioning Power, Fashioning Peace, where guests will have the unique opportunity to meet the designers and the teams behind this spectacular exhibition.

Tuesday, April 28, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Tickets are available via the link in our bio.
General Admission: $95
Young Professional Admission: $75
At-the-Door Admission: $125

Vintage Game Night is back on Wednesday, April 1st from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM!

Ease into Spring with friends, a date, or family. Play board games from yesteryear and today in the historic home of our 28th president, perfectly preserved from the 1920s. Your admission includes complimentary snacks and one drink ticket, with the option to purchase additional drink tickets. 1920s attire is always welcome!

Add on our exclusive one-hour Prohibition Tour (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM) to view the wine cellar (not available on a general house tour), enjoy a drink, and hear about how the Wilsons "survived" the Prohibition era. The combo ticket is discounted if you add the tour (normally $30 itself).

Seating and yard games in the garden if weather permits.

Admission
$20/person Game Night Only
$40/person Prohibition Tour & Game Night

Registration Encouraged; Walk-ins Permitted

Register using this link: https://woodrowwilsonhouse.org/events-calendar/

The President Woodrow Wilson House is honored to announce Her Royal Highness Princess Marie of Denmark as the 2026 Honoree of Fashioning Power, Fashioning Peace.

She will be celebrated at the exhibition’s opening reception on April 27, 2026, at the Woodrow Wilson House on Washington’s historic Embassy Row.

Recognized for her humanitarian leadership, advocacy for education and health, efforts to combat food waste, and her role as Patron of the Danish UNESCO National Commission, Her Royal Highness embodies the spirit of diplomacy and international cooperation at the heart of the exhibition.

The evening will bring together leaders from diplomacy, fashion, and Washington’s international community. Guests will view fashion from around the world in the museum galleries followed by a garden reception.

Princess Marie will also receive the Esther Pin, created with designer Ann Hand, symbolizing leadership, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.

In honor of International Women’s Day, the Wilson House welcomed our Fashioning Power, Fashioning Peace Host Committee for an engaging and educational lecture featuring renowned author Kimberly Heckler. She spoke about her new book, Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer, which explores the life and legacy of one of the most influential women in diplomacy and politics. Margaret Heckler stands among the many extraordinary women who have helped shape our nation and the global diplomatic community.

Image 1 (left to right): Janet Chair (Host Committee Chair), Kimberly Heckler (Guest Lecturer), Elizabeth Karcher (Executive Director, Woodrow Wilson House).

Image 2: International Women’s Day lecture in the Wilson House Drawing Room.

On March 4, 1921, just hours before moving into his home on S Street in Washington, DC, President Woodrow Wilson signed Joint House Resolution 426, authorizing the return of an Unknown American soldier from World War I and his burial at Arlington National Cemetery. This solemn act established what would become the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — a lasting national tribute to those who gave their lives in service to the United States.
 
In honor of this historic moment and in remembrance of all who have served, the Woodrow Wilson House staff laid a wreath this morning at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ceremony was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the Wilson House’s connection to this important chapter in American history and to pay tribute to members of our staff’s families — and to all service members — whose sacrifice and dedication continue to safeguard our nation’s freedoms.

In honor of International Women’s Day, The Woodrow Wilson House is delighted to welcome bestselling author Kimberly Heckler for a special discussion on her book, "A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer." Recently selected as one of the top five picks on the Harvard Kennedy School's Women and Public Policy Program’s 2025 Summer Reading List. This biography has been hailed as both inspiring and timely.

For much of the 1970s and 1980s, Margaret Heckler was one of the most powerful women in the country. During those years, the groundbreaking Heckler served eight terms in Congress; was President Reagan’s Secretary of Health and Human Services; and returned to her parents’ homeland as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, the first and only woman in American history to earn a “triple crown” in politics.

If you are interested in attending this exclusive reception, please contact Deputy Director, Wes Smith, at [email protected].

These postcard portraits—featuring Presidents from Washington through Truman—were published by M.A. Sheehan of Topanga, California, with artwork by Paul Dubosclard using serigraph prints. Once small souvenirs, they offered Americans a way to collect and reflect on the leaders who shaped the nation’s history.

Today, they remind us that presidential legacies live not only in monuments and memorials, but also in the everyday keepsakes that carry their stories forward.

Image: Post Cards of the presidents up until Truman. Published by M.A. Sheehan, Topanga, California. The President Woodrow Wilson House Collection. 1940s.

For Valentine’s Day, we’re remembering the courtship of Edith Bolling Wilson and President Woodrow Wilson.

While they were engaged, President Wilson sent Edith Bolling an orchid every day—one she would wear pinned to her dress. It was a steady, thoughtful gesture that became part of their story.

Today, that connection lives on in Laeliocattleya Edith Bolling Wilson, an orchid named in her honor by Art Chadwick of Chadwick & Sons Orchids—a lasting tribute to a First Lady whose legacy continues to bloom.

In the spirit of President Wilson's daily orchids, don’t forget to surprise someone you love with flowers today.

Image 1: Edith the day after announcing her engagement to Woodrow Wilson wearing an orchid on her dress. The President Woodrow Wilson House Collection. October 7, 1915.
Image 2: Laeliocattleya Edith Bolling Wilson. Chadwick & Sons Orchids.

On February 3, 1956, Edith Bolling Wilson commemorated the anniversary of President Woodrow Wilson’s death at his final resting place in Bethlehem Chapel at Washington National Cathedral. In this black-and-white photograph, Mrs. Wilson—wearing a fur coat—points to a wreath laid at the tomb, joined by a U.S. senator from Virginia in a solemn act of remembrance.

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, is the only president buried in Washington, D.C. His tomb at the National Cathedral continues to serve as a site of reflection on his legacy, including his leadership during World War I and his enduring influence on international diplomacy.

Image: Black and white photo that depicts Mrs. Wilson and U.S. senator from Virginia at tomb of Mr. Wilson in Washington Cathedral. The President Woodrow Wilson House Collection. 1956.