The National Cherry Blossom festival is a premiere event in the Washington, D. C. area. It draws thousands every spring to marvel at our Capitol’s beautiful grounds. Roll Call’s incredible photographers have been covering spring in Washington since the 1950s.  

Below are photos dating back to 1962 and include some other spring events like circus elephants performing in front of the Capitol Steps and the Statue of Freedom being lifted to the top of the Capitol Dome.  

Click on the image to scroll through the slideshow below: