Photo credit: White House/Paul Morse

 This is the weekend the White House will open its gardens to visitors for the fall tour.

The bad news is, the weather looks frightful.

The good news is the weather may keep the crowds down from the 25,000 expected!

At this writing, the White House has not canceled the tours, set for Saturday and Sunday. But be sure to check before getting in line for a ticket. Call the 24-hour information line at (202) 456-7041 to check on the status.

This is a rare opportunity to see the president's back yard. And there is plenty of history to go along with the gardens.

The tour, which takes about a half hour, includes the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden near the East Wing, also known as the first lady's garden and the Rose Garden, on the opposite side and steps away from the Oval Office.

Also on the tour is the Children's Garden, a popular spot because of the footprints and handprints of presidential grandchildren — from President Lyndon B. Johnson to George H.W. Bush — that line its walkway.

Michelle Obama's kitchen garden is not on the tour, but it can be glimpsed from the White House drive.

Guests can look up at the magnolia trees that towered over President Barack Obama's recent “beer summit.” (You can see them in the picture above.) President Andrew Jackson had them planted in memory of his wife, Rachel, who died shortly before he took office in 1829.

The tours are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets are free. They are distributed beginning at 8 a.m. by the National Park Service on the days of the event at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion, located at 15th and E Streets.

Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, they are timed, and tickets are required for children.