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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Visit The White House

The President and Dr. Biden are delighted to welcome members of the public to tour the White House. Public tour requests are scheduled through your Member of Congress and their Congressional Tour Coordinator. Constituents may reach your Member of Congress and Congressional Tour Coordinator through the U.S. House of Representatives Switchboard at 202-225-3121, the U.S. Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or online at  www.congress.gov/members .

Consistent with prior practices, public White House tour requests must be submitted a minimum of 21 days in advance and no more than 90 days in advance of the requested tour date(s). Reservations cannot be accepted for tour dates outside this 21 – 90-day window.  

Public tours are typically available from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. If your tour is confirmed, please note that you will be assigned a specific time.  All White House tours are free of charge. The White House tour schedule is subject to change, with little notice, based on inclement weather or official use.

If you are a citizen of a foreign country, please contact your embassy in Washington, D.C. for assistance in submitting a tour request.

Identification Requirements

All U.S. citizens ages 18 and older, and foreign nationals of all ages (including children), must present a valid, government-issued photo ID upon arrival for their tour. Acceptable forms of identification are below.

U.S. CITIZENS

• United States Driver’s License
• Valid United States Passport
• United States Military ID

FOREIGN NATIONALS

• Valid Passport
• Alien Registration Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• U.S. State Department Issued Diplomatic ID Card

A U.S. driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification for foreign nationals. No foreign-issued state IDs, foreign-issued driver’s licenses, expired passports, photocopies, other transmissions of these documents, or other forms of identification will be accepted. Individuals without acceptable identification, or whose identification does not exactly match the information previously registered, may be denied entry.

Prohibited Items

• Bags of any kind (including fanny packs and clutches)
• Cameras with detachable lenses
• Electric stun guns
• E-cigarettes
• Knives of any kind
• Martial arts
• Tobacco Products
• Toy Weapons
• Video cameras
• Weapons/devices
• Any pointed object
• Any other item determined to be a potential safety hazard

Please note that storage facilities are not provided during your visit. Individuals who arrive with bags or prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.

Permitted Items

• Baby carriers worn on the body
• Breast pumps
• Cell phones
• Compact cameras with lenses less than 3 inches
• Umbrellas without metal tips
• All items needed for medical purposes (i.e. wheelchairs, EpiPens, medication, etc.)

Getting Here

Use of public transportation is strongly encouraged, as there is no parking available on the White House complex and street parking is limited. The closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, silver, and red lines), and McPherson Square (blue, orange, and silver lines).

The White House Tour entrance is located in Sherman Park at 15th Street NW and Alexander Hamilton Place NW. If arriving by rideshare, use the White House Visitor Center (WHVC) as the drop-off address. The WHVC is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20230, which is one block from the White House.

Restrooms are located at the White House Visitors Center, located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20230. There are no restrooms available once you arrive for your tour.

Accessibility

The White House tour route is wheelchair accessible. Visitors who wish to use a White House wheelchair should notify a U.S. Secret Service officer upon arrival.

Guide animals are permitted in the White House.

Health and Safety Guidance

Guests who receive a confirmed tour reservation will be issued a White House Tour Pass ahead of their tour date containing pertinent health and safety guidance.

Know Before You Go

• Tours are self-guided and last approximately 45 minutes
• Eat a snack and stay hydrated prior to arrival.
• Dress for the weather, knowing you will be outside before your tour.
• Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time.
• No late arrivals are accepted.
• All guests must be previously registered via the RSVP link provided by the White House.
• Please silence your cell phone and refrain from phone calls during the tour.
• No flash photography or video recording is permitted during your tour.
• Visitors may call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 for latest updates and information relevant to White House tours.

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How Can I Tour the White House in Washington, DC?

Everything you need to know about planning a visit to the country’s most famous house., requesting a white house tour.

Touring the White House requires some advance planning. Public tour requests must be made through your member of Congress ( find your member of Congress and contact information ) and submitted up to three months in advance and no less than 21 days prior to your visit. If you're an international visitor and wish to schedule a tour, please contact your home country’s embassy in Washington, DC.

You are encouraged to submit your tour request as early as possible as tours fill up quickly and a limited number of spaces are available. Tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. All White House tours are free. Please note tours are subject to last-minute cancellations based on the official White House schedule.

Public, self-guided tours are 45 minutes and are run between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays unless otherwise noted. For complete details on White House tours, visit the White House tours and events page or call the White House Visitors Office 24-hour information line at (202) 456-7041. The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

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What to expect on a White House tour

If there is a tour slot available during your visit to DC, you will be given a specific date and time to arrive and be instructed on where to check in. All guests over 18 years old will be required to present a valid, government-issued photo ID upon check-in. Foreign nationals must present their passport. Please bring as little as possible (avoid backpacks, food, large handbags, bottled water, etc.). Note that smartphones and compact cameras with a lens no longer than 3 inches are permitted on the public tour route, but video recording devices and flash photography are not allowed inside the White House. Visitors will go through security prior to entering the White House. There are no restrooms available at the White House. The closest restroom is located at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion nearby.

Public tours of the White House include the public rooms in the East Wing, which includes the Blue Room, Red Room and Green Room; the State Dining Room; the China Room; and a view of the White House Rose Garden. Secret Service members are stationed in each room and are available to answer questions about the history and architecture of each room.

You can also visit the White House Visitor Center   before or after your tour.

Stephen Melkisethian

How to get to the White House

The closest Metro stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (Blue and Orange lines), Metro Center (Blue, Orange and Red lines) and McPherson Square (Blue and Orange lines). Please note there is NO PARKING near the White House. Public transportation is strongly encouraged.

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How to tour the White House Garden

Another opportunity to visit the White House is to attend either its fall or spring garden tour. Check whitehouse.gov in early October and April. The announcement of the garden tours is usually made within a week or two of when they take place. Garden tours generally run for two consecutive days. They may be canceled due to poor weather. A ticket is required for all attendees (including small children). Usually, tickets are distributed by the National Park Service at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion on 15th and E streets NW on each tour day beginning at 9 a.m. Review the announcement for specific details.

Will I still be able to see the White House without going on a tour?

While visitors are not allowed entry to the White House without requesting a tour through your congressional representative, you will still be able to see the White House from Pennsylvania Avenue NW at Lafayette Square and view the White House and the South Lawn from the Ellipse. Please note that a new fence is currently under construction at the White House, as the current 6-foot fence is being replaced by a stronger, wider fence that will be 13 feet.

Where can I store my belongings during the tour?

It is important to note that security at the White House is extremely high. If your hotel is nearby, we suggest leaving your belongings in your room during the tour. If this is not possible, there are a few other options. You can designate one member of your tour group to hold everyone’s belongings. That person can take the self-guided tour once his or her group has finished the tour.

If you're a ticketed Amtrak customer, you may be able to check luggage in advance at  Union Station . These are located near Gate A. Lockers are available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. A photo ID is required and lockers must be paid for via cash or credit in advance. Rates are $3-$6 per hour per bag depending on the size of your bag. For questions on bag storage, please call 202-906-3000.

Catch up on White House history with the free podcas t The 1600 Sessions and enhance your trip with the  White House Experience app  from the White House Historical Association. The app offers three tour experiences, including a virtual tour of the White House (with rooms you normally don't see on the tour), a neighborhood walking tour and a room-by-room guide for visitors on an in-person tour of the White House.

Now that you have read up on the White House, explore DC’s other awesome  monuments and memorials .

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The Ultimate Guide to Visiting the White House in Washington, D.C. [Includes Virtual Tour]

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History of the White House

Planning your visit, on the day of your tour, the white house experience mobile app (virtual tour), white house garden tour, the white house easter egg roll, what to see at the visitor center, when to visit, the northern trail, the southern trail, other landmarks and buildings, the north side from pennsylvania avenue, 20 facts about the white house, hotels near the white house, final thoughts.

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As the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States, the White House is one of the most easily recognizable and iconic buildings in the world. Home to every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800, the White House is a historically and culturally important building that attracts millions of visitors all year round.

The site for the White House was selected by George Washington back in 1791, with the cornerstone laid by Irish-born architect James Hoban 1 year later. The extensive and ambitious build took 8 years to complete, and although it was Washington that commissioned it, he sadly died before it was completed.

Originally known as the President’s House, it was the second President of the United States, President John Adams, and his wife that were the first to take up residence there . However, much of the original building was destroyed by a fire set by rampaging Brits in 1814. The newly built house was completed some 4 years later, and it has been called home by a succession of presidents and their families ever since.

During the early 20th century, various additions were made to the building, including the iconic West Wing that houses the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, and the Roosevelt Room, among others. During the Great Depression, the White House suffered neglect as a result of dwindling funding, and urgent renovations were needed during the 1940s.

Now one of the most well-cared for and loved buildings in America, the White House as we know it today is home to 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in residence , as well as 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. Anyone visiting the capital city of Washington, D.C., should definitely try to pay a visit.

Getting to the White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is probably one of the most famous addresses in the world. Taking a trip to visit the sprawling presidential home and offices is easy using almost any route.

There is a Metrobus stop located on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street, which is the closest stop to the White House Visitor Center. Pennsylvania Avenue Line numbers 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 all stop there.

Union Station is around 1.5 miles away from the Visitor Center. Heading northeast along Massachusetts Avenue, you can take in the city as you walk there, or hop on the shuttle bus that leaves from outside the station every 10 minutes.

The Blue, Silver, and Orange lines stop at Farragut West, McPherson Square, or Metro Center stations, all of which are within easy walking distance of the Visitor Center.

There are several parking lots that are located close to the White House Visitor Center, but spaces can be difficult to find and expensive. Downtown D.C. is also rated as one of the worst cities for traffic in the U.S. , so it may be quicker to walk or use public transport than try to undertake the journey by car.

How to Schedule a Tour of the White House

The White House is one of the most popular landmark attractions in the world. Every year, demand for tours outstrips the available places, so before your head off, make sure you know the best ways to maximize your chances of getting a tour inside the world-famous White House.

In order to visit the rooms that are available for public inspection at the White House, you will need to book a tour in advance . Tours are free of charge and self-guided , but you must request permission to visit at least 3 weeks in advance of your arrival in order to receive clearance from the U.S. Secret Service.

You can request tours up to 3 months in advance via your member of Congress , but there is no guarantee that your request will be accepted.

The self-guided tours run from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, but these timings can be subject to change depending on the White House schedules and events. Tours can also be canceled without prior notice, so be prepared.

Tours run in groups of 10 , and you will be placed in a group with other visitors before arrival if there are not enough in your own party. You will need to submit information about every member of your party, including their address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, and country of citizenship.

You will need to show your ID upon arrival, and your ID must exactly match all of the information you submitted in your application . A valid U.S. government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or military ID, is acceptable for U.S. nationals, as are valid U.S. passports.

Overseas Nationals

If you are planning on visiting the White House from overseas, you will need to contact your home country’s embassy in Washington, D.C. to submit a tour request before your departure. Foreign nationals must present their passport — no other forms of foreign ID will be considered as acceptable.

Disabilities

If you or anyone in your group is hearing, visually, or mobility impaired, their needs can usually be catered for through your member of Congress, or via your embassy. There is also a TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) at the Visitor Center, which can be contacted at 202-456-2121. Guide animals are permitted in the White House.

If you need the use of a wheelchair during your visit, you can request the loan of a wheelchair at the Visitor Entrance upon arrival. Unfortunately, reservations are not possible , but if you are able to secure one, there is a ramp to allow access to the entrance on the ground floor, and an elevator to take you from the ground floor to the State floor.

Hot Tip: While no tour company can get you access to the White House, you can take the popular hop-on, hop-off tour of Washington, D.C . on the red loop which takes in the White House, U.S. Capitol, and many more landmarks. 

If you are successful in your application to book a tour of the White House, there are further instructions and guidelines to consider on the day.

Firstly, you should plan to get to President’s Park 15-30 minutes before your tour is due to start . This will allow plenty of time for presenting your ID to officers, taking toilet breaks, and ensuring that you don’t have prohibited items in your bag. Better still, if you arrive an hour or so before your allocated tour time, you can take in the exhibits and watch a video of the White House at the Visitor Center.

You will enter the White House by the south side of East Executive Avenue near the Southeast Gate , where National Park Service rangers will be on hand to assist you.

As you would expect, security is tight in and around the White House. Visitors must adhere to strict rules about what they can and can’t take with them during the tour.

Prohibited items include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• Video cameras and cameras with detachable lenses
• Tablets and iPads
• Tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, and camera sticks
• Any bags, including handbags, purses, book bags, backpacks, diaper bags, and camera bags
• Any pointed object or sharp objects
• Food and liquids
• Aerosols and personal grooming items such as makeup or lotion
• Guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, and mace
• Martial arts weapons or toy weapons

You should also note that there are no storage facilities at the White House , so if you accidentally bring prohibited items with you, there is nowhere to leave them, and you will be denied entry to the tour. Leave everything on the above list back at home or in your hotel room.

There are certain items that you can take with you on your tour, but they may be subject to usage limitations. These include:

• Compact cameras (can be used for still photography only, no video recording or streaming, and all lenses must be less than 3 inches long)
• Umbrellas without metal tips
• Cell phones (remember, though, that talking or texting is not allowed, and phones must be on silent)
• All items needed for medical purposes will be permitted, including wheelchairs, electronic scooters, glucose tablets, EpiPens, medication, etc.)

Hot Tip: Before and during the tour, you are at the mercy of government officers. In some circumstances, the U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items that you may be carrying.

In these tech-friendly times, smartphone users will be delighted to know that there is a White House Experience Mobile App that you can download to enhance your experience during your visit.

Available on both iOS and Android , this is a useful tool for visitors who have not been successful in finding a place on an official tour, as well as those who have. Users can enjoy a virtual tour of the White House and the surrounding President’s Neighborhood, as well as taking a tour through the history of the White House and how its customs have evolved.

There are also a number of fun features to raise a smile. Snap a selfie with the Presidential Lookalike feature, or take the opportunity to virtually pilot the presidential helicopter around Washington, D.C., using the Fly Like Ike feature.

The Virtual White House tour offers visitors a glimpse of the interiors of the public areas including the East Wing, Family Theater, Library, Vermeil Room, China Room, Diplomatic Reception Room, Map Room, State Floor, as well as the famous rooms of the West Wing such as the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and Press Room.

You can also sneak a peek into some of the upper floors, including the Treaty Room, the Lincoln Bedroom, the Queen’s Bedroom, and the President’s Dining Room.

While you are out and about, why not try the White House Neighborhood Walking Tour that provides turn-by-turn navigation of the President’s Neighborhood.

This tour stops at a range of historic landmarks, including Decatur House, Lafayette Square, St. John’s Church, Treasury Building, North Lawn, Blair House, Eisenhower Executive Office Building, South Lawn and Ellipse, and the White House Visitor Center. The app also provides information on points of interest at each of these locations.

During the spring and fall, the White House opens its stunning and extensive gardens to visitors. With the sun shining on Washington, D.C., garden lovers can stroll through the White House Kitchen Garden, the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, the Rose Garden, and South Lawn of the White House, while taking in the tranquil surroundings just outside the home of democracy.

The Spring Garden Tour usually takes place on a single weekend in April, while the Fall Garden Tour will is held over a weekend in September. Both White House Garden Tours are free and open to the public, but they are only open to ticket holders.

Tickets can only be obtained on the day , but there are often long queues of people waiting to get hold of them. Every member of your group must wait in-person to receive their ticket, and tours are timed throughout the day. Children are welcome to join you on your tour, but they will need their own ticket, and there are plenty of plaques and information points to take in during your self-guided tour of the gardens.

The White House Gardens are home to over 50 different kinds of vegetables, as well as berries, herbs, and even a beehive . In 2009, first lady Michelle Obama planted the Kitchen Garden in conjunction with her Let’s Move! Initiative that focused on health and well-being in America. To this day, the White House cooks still use fresh fruit, vegetable, and herbs that are grown there when cooking for the first family and their guests.

The Rose Garden is famous for the lush green lawn often seen in outdoor press conferences, and it can be found just outside the West Wing in view of the Oval Office. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden is dedicated to the former first lady herself, and the wide-open lawns and gorgeous borders are often used for parties, teas, and awards ceremonies.

The South Lawn is where the president departs and lands on the official presidential helicopter, Marine One, and is also where the famous annual Easter Egg Roll is held. It is also home to a range of magnolia trees that were first planted by President Andrew Jackson back in the 1800s.

Hot Tip: Visitors are welcome to take photos during the tour and are encouraged to share them on Instagram using the #WHGARDEN hashtag to share the beauty of the White House Gardens with the world.

Often drawing as many as 35,000 parents and children on the South Lawn, the world-famous White House Easter Egg Roll is one of the most exciting events of the White House calendar.

This time-honored tradition was first established by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878 . What initially started as a few local families rolling eggs outside the White House on the first Monday after Easter , was extended when the growing crowds convinced President Hayes to invite young children to roll eggs inside the grounds of the White House Lawn instead.

If it hadn’t have been this kind gesture by the then president, the Egg Roll might never have happened, as members of Congress had already passed an Act banning egg rolling outside the White House as they deemed it be too disruptive.

The White House Easter Bunny holds celebrity status, and the giant 6-foot bunny suit has often worn by members of Congress, first wives, and a range of famous celebrities.

Anyone wanting to come and join in the fun must enter a lottery for a place. Children under 13 years are encouraged to attend, and the event is designed to promote healthy and active living. The lottery is usually held during February , and winners are notified via email the following month. There is no charge to enter the lottery , and attendance is literally by the luck of the draw.

Hot Tip: Commemorative White House Easter eggs can be purchased from the White House Historical Association online store and feature the president’s and the first lady’s signatures.

White House Visitor Center

Located at 1450 Pennsylvania Ave., the White House Visitor Center is a great place to visit to find out about the history of the building itself, as well as discovering the customs and events that the White House is so famous for.

Offering just shy of 1,600 square feet of museum-quality exhibits and galleries , there is always something new to see at the Visitor Center. There are nearly 100 famous historical artifacts on display, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s desk and a host of other interesting pieces, many of which have never been on public display before.

The Visitor Center is also home to a large-scale model of the White House and a number of interactive exhibits , including a touch screen tour of the interior.

One of the biggest highlights is a 14-minute film, “White House: Reflections From Within,” that is shown every 20 minutes. It features Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and a few first ladies and other family members reminiscing about their time in the White House. This is a popular attraction within the Visitor Center and a must-see whether you have managed to secure a place on a White House tour or not.

The White House Visitor Center is operated by the National Park Service . It is housed in historic Baldrige Hall in the Department of Commerce building. In 2014, the center was renovated to offer extra space in which to house a permanent museum gallery, a temporary exhibit area, an improved book sales area, and further visitor information facilities.

The White House Visitor Center is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day . It is free to enter and can be visited in conjunction with a White House tour if you are lucky enough to get on one, or as a stand-alone attraction.

President ’s Park

Located at the heart of downtown Washington, D.C., President’s Park offers 82 acres of stunning open space that includes the parkland and gardens surrounding the White House . The park is home to some of the most famous statues, memorials, and structures in Washington, D.C., and the park is open to visitors all year round.

Throughout the years, the President’s Park has played host to many important events in history. These include marches and rallies held by suffragettes, freedom fighters, and anti-war protestors, as well as welcoming thousands of visitors to enjoy the annual Easter Egg Roll and the lighting of the National Christmas Tree.

The National Park Service promotes 2 very distinct sides of the park for visitors to explore.

Beginning at the White House Visitor Center, visitors can proceed up to 15th Street to Lafayette Park on the Northern Trail . First opened in the 1820s, and redesigned in the 1960s, the park has been used as a race track, a slave market, an encampment for soldiers, and many other things along the way.

The park is also home to St. John’s Church, often referred to as the “Church of the Presidents,” and the whole area became a designated National Historic Landmark in 1970.

Statues and Monuments

The park is home to a number of statues that commemorate the many heroes who helped America during times of war. These include:

General Sherman Statue

Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman has his very own bronze statue that features a square platform with a bronze soldier at each corner. These represent the 4 branches of the U.S. Army: infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers.

General Lafayette Statue

Located at the southeast corner of Lafayette Square, this bronze statue was erected in 1891 and portrayed the Marquis de Lafayette petitioning the French National Assembly for assistance to the Americans in their fight for independence. On an adjoining pedestal, there is a bronze female figure, symbolizing America, turning toward him and imploringly lifting a sword.

General Kosciuszko Statue

Commemorating Polish patriot Thaddeus Kosciuszko and his life-long dedication to fighting for freedom in America and Poland, this bronze memorial is located in the northeast corner of Lafayette Park.

General Jackson Memorial

Located in the center of Lafayette Park, this statue portrays General Andrew Jackson reviewing his troops at the Battle of New Orleans. Depicting the general and his horse, the statue was dedicated on January 8, 1853, on the 38th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.

General von Steuben Statue

Portraying Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (1730-1794) as he inspects American troops during the American Revolution, this statue recognizes not only his leadership but his commitment to raising the standards of sanitization for soldiers during the war.

General Rochambeau Statue

This French general commanded 5,500 Royal French Expeditionary Forces to help with the American forces during the war. The statue depicts Rochambeau directing his troops, as well as a female figure, Liberty, who raises 2 flags in her left hand, symbolizing the unity of the U.S. and France.

Blair-Lee House

Serving as the official guesthouse for the president, Blair-Lee House was built in 1824. Various presidents and foreign dignitaries have stayed at Blair-Lee House throughout the years, and even today, many foreign heads of state are invited to stay there while visiting with the president.

Baruch Bench of Inspiration

Bernard Baruch was a wealthy financier from New York City who also served the country as an economic advisor during both World War I and World War II. Legend has it that he hated been driven to the White House and preferred instead to sit on a bench and wait for a signal that the president was ready to meet him.

In his honor, a commemorative bench with a bronze plaque set in granite block was dedicated on August 16, 1960, Baruch’s 90th birthday.

Navy Yard Urns

These huge ornamental bronze urns were cast using a melted cannon from the Civil War. They sit on giant pedestals at the center of Jackson Place and are a reminder of the hard-fought battles undertaken by Americans during the Civil War.

The Southern Trail begins at the White House Visitor Center and proceeds onto the Ellipse grounds, following a clockwise route around the parkland.

Monuments and Memorials

Butt-millet memorial fountain.

This tranquil fountain was erected to commemorate the deaths of Major Archibald Wallingham Butt and Francis Davis Millet. They both lost their lives on the RMS Titanic in April 1912. The fountain was also designed to double as a water fountain for the horses ridden by U.S. Park Police while on patrol.

Second Division Memorial

Erected to honor the 17,660 dead who served in the U.S. Army during World War I, this memorial was later extended to include a memorial to some of the most significant battles in World War II and the Korean War. It serves as a place of quiet contemplation and remembrance.

Original Patentees Memorial

This simple granite shaft was erected to remember the original 18 patentees whose land grants embraced the site of the federal city. Each side of the monument contains a relief panel carved with a symbol of the early pioneers’ agricultural pursuits, and the names of the original landowners are inscribed on the base.

Boy Scout Memorial

Dedicated to the Boy Scouts of America, this statue stood on the site of the first-ever Boy Scout Jamboree in 1937. The bronze statue consists of 3 figures that represent the aspirations of all past, present, and future Scouts throughout the world. There is also a female figure that symbolizes enlightenment with the love of God and fellow man, justice, freedom, and democracy.

The Zero Milestone

This 4-foot-high shaft of pink granite is the official starting point for the measurement of highway distances from Washington, D.C. It was built to mark the starting point of the first transcontinental military motor convoy that traveled from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco.

First Division Monument

This was built in remembrance of the heroism of the soldiers of the First Division of the American Expeditionary Forces who gave their lives during World War I. Further additions were made to also commemorate those who died in both World War II and the Vietnam War, as well as the Gulf War.

Bulfinch Gatehouses

Both of these gatehouses were build to oversee the U.S. Capitol grounds, and since 1889 they have weathered several floods, water, and the effects of acid rain.

The Ellipse

As perhaps one of the most famous areas of President’s Park, the Ellipse is a large open area surrounded by an oval drive. Over the years, the site has been used as a trash dump, horse pens, and even a slaughterhouse, but it is now often the meeting place for demonstrations and celebrations.

The National Christmas Tree

Every Christmas, local public schools erect a Christmas tree on the Ellipse. This age-old tradition is a highly anticipated event, and each succeeding president has participated in since 1923.

Best Place to Take Pictures of the White House

A visit to Washington, D.C. would not be complete without taking a series of snaps of the White House. There are various ways to capture awesome images of one of the world’s most iconic buildings, even if you can’t get right up close to it.

This view of the White House is one of the most famous images in the world. There is a fair distance between the sidewalk and the White House (as you would expect), but it is not impossible to get great pictures.

If you want to pass off the impression that you are inside the grounds of the White House, find a gap in the fence that is big enough to slip your digital camera through. Taking a picture of the White House straight on can make it look like it leans backward slightly. This is because there are no parallel vertical lines in the historical building.

You can either go with it and enjoy its imperfections or if you want your images to look super fancy, use the lens correction tool in Photoshop to fix this.

If you don’t mind seeing the fencing in your photographs, there are also some awesome images to be captured from Lafayette Park, where you can add stunning seasonal flowers into the foreground, too.

The South Side and E Street

On the south side of the White House, there are lots of trees that line the South lawn, which can be prohibitive to your view. There are, however, 2 walkways on E Street that offer you some excellent photographic opportunities.

You can take images through the fence on the north side of the street, or cross over to include people and bustling street scenes to add a sense of perspective.

Taking a short walk further away from the building itself, the Ellipse offers the opportunity for some excellent shots, and if you are lucky, you may be able to get Marine One in there, too. The base of the Washington Monument on Constitution Avenue offers some interesting viewpoints as well, as it has a slightly elevated position.

When to Take Pictures

Different seasons and times of the day offer different opportunities to capture the perfect picture. During the holiday season, the National Christmas Tree is bright and festive, with the White House providing a beautiful backdrop to great Christmas images, while the gardens around the White House look fantastic in both spring and fall.

Summer is the busiest time of year for visitors, so capturing images without bystanders is nearly impossible, but they can add an extra layer of perspective to your finished shots. Early morning and early evening shots add atmosphere, as the building looks magical lit up at night.

Bottom Line: No matter where you find yourself in the surrounding streets and parklands, you should still be able to take photographs that will keep your memories alive.

George Washington Never Lived There

Although he was responsible for commissioning the construction of the White House, his term ended 3 years before the building work was completed, and a year after he died. He is the only U.S. president never to have lived in the White House during their term in office.

He Was Responsible for the Design of the Oval Office, Though

The Oval Office was first used in 1909, and the oval shape was inspired by Washington’s love of unusually shaped rooms. He was believed to have preferred rounded shaped rooms at his home in Philadelphia, as he felt it made them more suitable for hosting formal gatherings.

The White House Was Built by Slaves

Controversial, but true, White House records show that the house was built by African American slaves who were trained as quarrymen, bricklayers, and carpenters to help complete the building project. This fact was brought to the attention of the American public by former first lady, Michelle Obama.

The White House Had No Electricity for Almost 100 Years

The White House was lit by gaslight right up until 1891 when the electricity system was first installed. The idea of electric lighting was still pretty novel at the time, and President Benjamin Harrison was worried about the dangers of touching a light switch. To protect himself throughout his time in office, he always had someone else switch the lights on and off for him.

It Didn’t Have Indoor Bathrooms for Decades, Either

Indoor plumbing systems were not part of the original design of the White House back in 1800. In fact, it wasn’t until 1833 that any kind of indoor plumbing was installed, and even then, not all of the bathrooms had hot and cold running water until some 20 years later in 1853.

It Was, However, One of the First Accessible Government Buildings

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was responsible for ensuring that the White House was and still is, entirely wheelchair accessible. Having suffered from polio, FDR was paralyzed below the waist and spent his time in office bound to a wheelchair.

Because of this, he took it upon himself to add elevators and ramps throughout the White House, making it one of the first wheelchair-friendly buildings in Washington, D.C. and possibly the U.S.

At Least 10 People Have Died in the White House

With such a high turn over of residents, it should come as no surprise that several people have passed away within the confines of its walls, too. Famous demises include Presidents William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor, as well as first ladies Letitia Tyler, Caroline Harrison, and Ellen Wilson, too.

It Is Said to Be Haunted

Many residents, staffers, and guests have all claimed to feel the power of the paranormal during their time at the White House. To this day, rumor has it that the ghost of Abraham Lincoln still walks the hallowed halls and corridors, and there have been many reported sightings of him throughout the house.

There Is a Secret Entrance

The White House has a secret entrance that is only used by the president and secret visitors. This is not unusual in high-profile buildings, but to enter via the secret entrance at the White House, visitors must go through 2 tunnels and an alleyway before reaching the basement.

This intricate entrance system was originally designed during World War II when there was an underground bomb shelter that sat beneath the White House.

There Is Also an Underground Swimming Pool

The White House has an outdoor pool that is enjoyed during warmer months, but it also has an interior pool hidden beneath its floors. First opened in 1933 for use by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the pool still exists today and can be found directly under the Press Briefing Room.

And a Dentist’s Office

If the president suffers from a sudden toothache, a lost crown, or a broken filling, there is a dentist on-site to deal with that. The basement of the White House is home to a dedicated dentist’s office, as well as plenty of other useful services, including a chocolate shop and a florist.

Tom Hanks Gifted Coffee Machines for the Press Briefings at the White House

During a tour of the White House back in 2004, the actor was surprised to see that there were no refreshment services for reporters who attended press briefings at the White House. Hanks immediately sent a coffee machine to be used in the Press Briefing Room and has upgraded the original machine twice since then.

In 2017 he sent a $1,700 espresso machine along with a note that read, “Keep up the good fight for truth, justice, and the American way. Especially for the truth part.”

The White House Nearly Fell Apart

During the Great Depression, there was very little money in the kitty for much-needed maintenance and repairs. Creaking floorboards, a leaking roof, weakened wooden beams, and swaying balconies all put the White House at risk of collapse, but the ongoing damage to the structure was not fully discovered until much later in 1948 when it was fully renovated.

The Current White House Is Not the Original One

During the invasion in 1814, the British burned the White House down, just 14 years after it had been completed. While the modern-day building has stood for hundreds of years, much of the original building was lost to the fire, and the rebuild was not completed until 4 years later.

The West Wing Wasn’t Always There

Home to some of the most famous rooms within the White House, the West Wing wasn’t actually even built until the early 20th century.

In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt called to have an executive office building built alongside the residence. President Taft doubled the wing’s size in 1909, which included the Oval Office, making President Taft was the first-ever president to use it.

It Has Been Home to a Wide Variety of Animals

Each new presidential resident and their families are welcome to bring their pets with them when they move into the White House.

This means that over the years, it has been home to lots of cats and dogs, as well as a variety of more unusual animals. These include a raccoon, opossums, and even a pair of tiger cubs that were gifted to President Van Buren.

It Is Also Home to a 7-Seat Hot Tub

Former President Bill Clinton was gifted a 7-seat hot tub that is installed near the South Lawn next to the swimming pool.

Due to rules and regulations on “gifting” items to members of Congress, the hot tub had to be donated as a legitimate therapy appliance. A spokesperson for President Clinton said at the time that the hot tub did indeed help with his injured knee.

It Wasn’t Always Called the White House

Over the years, the building we know as the White House has had a number of different names. Originally known as the President’s Palace, its name was later changed to Executive Mansion sometime around 1810.

It wasn’t actually until 1901 that President Theodore Roosevelt officially adopted the name White House and it has been known by that name ever since.

Nothing Comes for Free

It may surprise you to know that even the presidential family doesn’t get fed for free in the White House. While they don’t have to pay rent or bills while they live there, they are responsible for the costs of their personal food, dry cleaning, toiletries, and even the wages for waiters and other members of staff they employ for private events.

These costs are usually just deducted from their salary.

The Famous Resolute Desk Was Found on an Abandoned Ship

The Resolute Desk in the Oval Office was originally part of an abandoned British Navy vessel found off Baffin Island in the Arctic.

When the ship was decommissioned by the U.K., its oak timbers were used to create a desk weighing more than 1,000 pounds that Queen Victoria later gifted to President Rutherford Hayes.

To this day, we still see the presidents sign orders from behind this fabulous piece of furniture.

Many visitors choose to stay close to the White House during their visit. Here are some of the best to choose from.

Willard InterContinental Washington

This historic hotel is located on the world-famous Pennsylvania Avenue and has been a D.C. landmark for over 200 years. Offering executive suites and luxurious guest rooms, this 5-star hotel has stately interiors and is just a short walk the White House itself.

Stay in style surrounded by city or courtyard views, Keurig coffeemakers, and suites with separate living areas, whirlpool tubs, and even their own foyers. All guests are invited to enjoy the use of the beauty and wellness treatments available at the Mynd Spa and Salon.

You can dine at the authentic French brasserie, Cafe Du Parc, or take advantage of the full concierge service who can help you to make the most of your trip to one of America’s oldest cities.

The Hay – Adams

This luxury hotel offers unparalleled White House views from its position on the National Mall, and it is as popular with visitors as it is with Washington, D.C. insiders. Elegant interiors paired with first-class service and facilities make this 5-star hotel one of the most sought after in the city.

Bedrooms are upscale and very well appointed, with many offering fabulous views out across the National Mall. The wood-paneled walls, ornate fireplaces, and chandeliers found in the communal areas give the hotel an incredibly grand feel, and visitors may even recognize The Hay-Adams from television shows, including House of Cards and Homeland.

With a busy bar, a fitness center, and one of the city’s best restaurants all on-site, this hotel offers an authentic taste of upscale D.C.

JW Marriott Washington

Brilliantly located for visiting the White House and numerous other political and cultural landmarks in D.C., this renovated hotel offers luxurious lodgings on Pennsylvania Avenue. This is a modern hotel that has a bright and airy feel, with contemporary bedrooms and plenty of minimalist touches.

Guests love the large windows with fabulous views out across the city, as well as spacious bedrooms and bright and practical communal spaces. The hotel is also home to The Avenue Grill that serves up casual American fare, as well as a lively bar with a daily happy hour and a Starbucks coffee shop. This hotel offers affordable 4-star accommodation in the heart of D.C.

Sofitel Lafayette Square

This glamorous Art Deco style hotel sits just 1 block away from the White House and adds a touch of European flair to this most American of cities. With opulent interiors and seductive French flair, this 5-star hotel is located at the heart of the finest shops, restaurants, and landmarks the city has to offer.

Bedrooms are plush and well-appointed with tall windows and luxury linens, while the communal areas feel decadent. Guests are welcome to enjoy the great-tasting fare at the ICI Urban Bistro or join fellow guests for a cocktail or 2 at the bar. There is also a large basement fitness center, and spa treatments can be ordered to your room.

Club Quarters Hotel

This mid-range hotel offers comfortable and affordable accommodation just 2 blocks from the White House and right next to Farragut West Metro station, therefore affording easy access to the entire city. Designed very much with business travelers in mind, this hotel offers collaborative workspaces with super-fast Wi-Fi, wireless printing, and Mac and PC workstations.

Bedrooms are bright and airy and offer sleek interiors complete with yoga mats and resistance bands, while suites add kitchenettes and separate living areas. The hotel is also home to the Cafe Soleil that serves up fun, French-inspired food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Hot Tip:  Looking for even more hotels? Explore our best hotels in Washington, D.C. to book with points. 

No visit to Washington, D.C. would be complete without a trip to see one of the most famous buildings in the world. Home to presidents for hundreds of years, the city is steeped in history.

If you are lucky enough to secure a place on an official White House tour, you will not be disappointed. But even if you are unable to get inside the building itself, there is still a wealth of attractions, landmarks, exhibitions, and open spaces for you to enjoy in the world-class parks and open spaces around the White House.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i get tickets to visit the white house.

You can get tickets to visit the White House through your member of Congress only. These tickets have to be requested a minimum of 3 weeks in advance and can be requested as early as 3 months prior to your tour date.

Is it free to visit the White House?

Yes, White House tours are free of charge and self-guided. The tours run from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. You must request tickets through your member of Congress.

Can you tour the Oval Office?

White House tours do not include the Oval Office and tours of the West Wing are usually reserved for VIPs or guests of the president.

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About Amar Hussain

Amar is an avid traveler and tester of products. He has spent the last 13 years traveling all 7 continents and has put the products to the test on each of them. He has contributed to publications including Forbes, the Huffington Post, and more.

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• Episode 135

Inside The White House With President Joe Biden

Released on 12/22/2023

[door latch clicks]

Hey, Architectural Digest.

Welcome to the Oval Office. Come on in.

[lively classy jazz music]

This is the White House. This is it.

On Inauguration Day, the outgoing present has to be out by,

I think, noon or 10 o'clock in the morning.

Incoming can't come till four o'clock,

so you can decide what furniture

and what decorations you want in the Oval Office.

I had asked my brother to help me set up my office in here

on the rug and the furniture

'cause he's a better architect than I am.

What they do is in suburban Maryland, there is a facility

that is a replica in terms of dimensions of the Oval Office.

And so you go out there and pick the furniture

and the rugs you want and see what it looks like.

And so my brother knows my taste extremely well.

I love this rug. I love the color blue.

That's the one thing I knew I wanted.

The rest my brother picked out for me,

and he had called a good friend, Jon Meacham,

the presidential historian for some help.

[smooth jazz music]

I've spent more time with the Chinese leader

than any other head of state.

And he asked me, he said, can I define America?

I said, Yes, I can in one word, and I mean it.

Possibilities. Possibilities.

We Americans think anything is possible

when we do it together.

And that's why Jon Meacham helped my brother

pick out those five portraits up there.

It's all about possibilities.

There's not a single thing we can't do.

[lively jazzy music]

This was the Resolute Desk that John Kennedy had.

And remember that famous picture where John-John, his son,

where he came out from under the desk?

Well, he comes out this door here.

That's where he climbed out.

Well, I have a little grandson,

and what I decided to do when we came in here...

Here, let me show you.

And that's my grandson,

Beauy coming out from underneath the desk.

It's really an incredible office.

I chose the things that sort of represent

why I got into public life to begin with, for real.

I wanted to be able to sit in my desk,

and when I looked down to see the two heroes I had.

One was Dr. Martin Luther King,

and the other is Bobby Kennedy.

Then I have a woman who refused

to move to the back of the bus, it's Rosa Parks.

I have her bust in here as well.

And there's one other person that was from that era.

This is Cesar Chavez of the farm workers.

He was organizing farm workers

in the southern part of my state at the time.

And I supported him.

I never met him, but I supported what he was doing.

It cost me Southern Delaware, [laughs]

but I admired the hell out of him.

[bright jazzy music]

This is the love of my life and the life of my love.

This is my daughter, Ashley, on her wedding day.

And we're dancing the dance of the father and daughter.

This one is really amazing.

This is on the night Barack and I

were declared Vice President

and President of the United States.

My mom, who admired Barack a lot,

wasn't even supposed to be walking out on the stage.

And they said, And now the next president

and vice president of the United States,

Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

And my mother grabs Barack's hand there,

and look at the look on his face.

She goes, Come on, honey, it's gonna be okay.

She walked him out on stage.

She never stopped being everybody's mom.

I have this rugby ball over here.

This is the All Irish rugby team.

I have two cousins who were stars on that team,

and they gave me this ball.

And then every time I've been sworn in

in any public office, I've used this Bible.

It's just an incredible keepsake

that's been around in the family for a long time.

By the way, reason for Ben Franklin,

I gotta put that up because my kids went to Penn,

and I was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

This Moon rock, it's pretty cool.

It's literally a rock from the Moon.

This is my '67 Corvette.

But my dad didn't have a lot of money,

but he managed the dealership

so when I got married, he gave this to me as a gift.

I still have it.

When I got elected president,

Scranton decided to take Interstate 81

and the exit to Scranton used to be called

the Central Scranton Expressway.

They renamed it President Biden Expressway. [chuckles]

[warm jazzy music]

You know, there's a lot of other things in here

that are of consequence to me,

and I think of all the incredible things

that have happened in this office

over the last couple hundred years.

And it really is just an incredible honor to be here.

[bright upbeat music]

Let me show you back here.

People don't get to go back here very often.

I think these are great sketches of Frederick Douglass.

I have them put up in the wall here.

There's a private office back here.

This is where I come when I want to get away a little bit

to work on a speech.

There's a great portrait of President Kennedy there.

The Kennedys didn't like it

because they made him look too contemplative.

I think it's a great portrait of him.

And on the wall here,

a lot of kids will send me these cartoons

and I put 'em up on the wall

and then I take pictures of 'em

and send them to the families,

which the kids get a kick out of.

I think they're really neat.

And this is the house that I was raised in,

in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on North Washington Avenue,

which, by the way, the last three blocks,

it's the end of North Washington Avenue,

they call it Biden Way now.

They've renamed it. [chuckles]

[warm upbeat music]

This is a private dining room.

Not many people get to come back here.

Barack and I used to have lunch those those eight years,

once a week in this room right here.

But I have a lot of personal family photographs back here.

This is a picture of my son, Beau, who's passed away.

That's my mom and my dad

and when I had darker hair. [chuckles]

And here there are what they call command coins.

Command coins are given in the battlefield,

and the president has a command coin.

And my command coin has on the back of it Beau's unit,

who went into Iraq for a year.

And so I'm gonna give you a copy, give you one.

If in fact next time I see you, you don't have it,

you have to buy the drinks.

But you're in luck, I'm the only Irish you've never met

that's never had a drink in his life.

Did you want to see the Cabinet Room?

I want to show it to you. Come here.

[classy jazz music]

This is the Cabinet Room. Come on in.

There's only one chair in here

that's about two inches higher than every other chair.

That's the president's chair. [laughs]

These chairs are really, really heavy.

On the back of each chair

is the name of the department they represent.

This is the Secretary of Energy here in this chair.

But there's a lot of really incredible things

that have happened in this room.

It's almost cathedral-like to me because when we're in here,

we're talking about things of enormous consequence.

And by the way, there's a tradition in my office.

These chocolate chip cookies are all homemade.

[Crew Member] Thank you.

Thanks for coming by, Architectural Digest.

By the way, I'm a subscriber. I'm a frustrated architect.

Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

[warm instrumental music]

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White House tours are back: Here's what you need to know

I remember visiting the White House for the first time during former President George H.W. Bush's time in office.

A friend with a friend who worked in the Washington, D.C., landmark at the time — if that isn't a quintessential D.C. thing to say, I don't know what is — was couch surfing at my place and wanted to "pay" me with a tour of the presidential mansion.

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I happily accepted the offer and, not long after, found myself exploring the iconic building. In addition to checking out the usual rooms included in the tour, my friend scored us a peek inside the Oval Office, an experience I'll never forget.

Like many sites in D.C., the White House paused tours of its interior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But after 14 months, the Biden Administration announced that tours will resume on Friday and Saturday mornings starting April 15.

As was the case before the pandemic, you can't just show up and ask for tickets. Instead, you'll need to plan your visit weeks in advance.

Before you finalize your itinerary, here's everything you need to know about White House tours, plus suggestions for where to stay nearby.

Although the White House is managed by the National Park Service, you can't reach out to the agency to get tickets. Instead, you'll need to request them from your member of Congress (or your embassy, if you're not a U.S. resident). You can do this between three months and 21 days in advance.

Tours are limited to Friday and Saturday mornings (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted) from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, so you'll want to request your tickets as early as possible.

When you submit your request, be sure to include three potential dates for your tour, as well as the number of individuals in your party. Try to avoid the Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day and Christmas holidays, as tickets are a lot harder to come by during these busy times.

While you'll have a set tour time when you receive your tickets, know that unexpected events may occasionally cause your tour to be canceled at the last minute. If this happens, you'll need to submit a new request for a tour.

On the day of your tour, all members of your group who are 18 and older will need to present a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or military ID (or a passport, if they're from another country). Each person's name, date of birth, city and state given for the reserved tickets must exactly match the government-issued photo ID presented.

While face masks are not required during the tour, they will be available on site should you want to wear one. Items you're welcome to bring on the tour include:

• Compact cameras with lenses shorter than 3 inches long.
• Umbrellas without metal tips.
• Small personal items like wallets and cellphones.
• Items needed for medical purposes, such as wheelchairs (which you also can request at the Visitors Entrance), medications and mobility aids.

Keep in mind, though, that the White House's strict security protocols mean certain items are not permitted inside. These include:

• Video cameras, cameras with detachable lenses, tablets, iPads, tripods, monopods and cameras sticks.
• Bags of any kind (handbags, purses, book bags, backpacks, diaper bags and camera bags).
• Any pointed object, including pocket knives.
• Food, liquids, aerosols, tobacco products and personal grooming items (makeup, lotion, etc.).
• Guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons and devices, toy weapons and knives of any kind.

There is no storage available at the White House or the White House Visitor Center, so plan on keeping any prohibited items in your hotel safe or leaving them with a companion who isn't taking the tour.

What you'll see

After you've made your way through security, you'll embark on an hourlong tour that includes stops at several well-known spots in the building, including the family theater, the East Room (which you may recognize from press conferences and special events), the State Dining Room (a banquet hall and ceremonial chamber for official events) and the Blue Room (a reception room famous for its decorations during the holiday season).

Depending on what's going on during your visit (or who you know), you may also have the chance to see other spaces like the Oval Office and the South Lawn, where Marine One (the presidential helicopter) lands and departs.

To supplement your White House tour, check out the adjacent White House Visitor Center . Open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the center is home to roughly 100 historical artifacts and offers an interactive touchscreen tour of the White House.

There's also the nearby White House Historical Association retail store , which sells a great selection of souvenirs, including history books, jewelry, cherry blossom items and the official White House Christmas ornament.

Where to stay

Washington, D.C. is home to many chain, independent and boutique hotels, and luckily, some of the best ones happen to be within walking distance of the White House. Here are some of my personal favorites — and their current room rates for October 2022.

Related: Best hotel credit cards

The Hay-Adams

This historic hotel located between the White House and Lafayette Park regularly shows up on lists of the best hotels in D.C., and for good reason. If you play your cards right, you can snag a room with White House and Washington Monument views.

Speaking of views, the property's top-floor Top of the Hay has French doors that open onto a wraparound balcony with panoramic White House and city skyline vistas. It has a full-service rooftop kitchen, making it a terrific space for meetings and special occasions.

Since The Hay-Adams is a boutique hotel, it does not participate in any major brand's loyalty program. As a result, you'll need to pay cash for your stay. Standard superior rooms start at $439 a night.

Hotel Washington

For a while, this 105-year-old hotel was known as the W Washington DC, but it reverted back to its original name in August 2021.

The chic property is known for the Vue, an open-air space regularly touted as one of the city's best rooftop bars. You'll also find a mix of rooms and suites, including some with jaw-dropping city views.

Cash rates for a standard queen room at this independently operated hotel start at $337 per night, but if you're looking for a show-stopping view, consider upgrading to one of the Monument suites. You'll enjoy sweet views of the Washington Monument for a minimum of $580 a night.

JW Marriott Washington, DC

One of Marriott's flagship hotels just happens to sit right on Pennsylvania Avenue, less than two blocks away from the White House and next door to the National Theatre.

Like other hotels on this list, the JW Marriott Washington, DC boasts rooms with incredible views of downtown and the city's popular monuments. You'll also find a moody bar and an American-inspired restaurant on site, should you crave a cocktail or bite to eat after sightseeing.

While standard rooms do not come with a Washington Monument view, for a slight price increase, you can reserve a king bedroom that overlooks the monument starting at $359 a night. If you have a stash of Marriott Bonvoy points, you can apply 50,000 to 60,000 points per night to cover a stay here.

Willard InterContinental Washington DC

The history of this hotel, which opened in 1818, almost goes back to the start of the republic. As such, it was the place to see and be seen for centuries.

When I moved to D.C. in 1978, the iconic Willard had been closed for 10 years and was just a decaying building on Pennsylvania Avenue. That same year, a team was chosen to redevelop the hotel into the stunning property it is today.

Ever since reopening in 1986, the IHG-affiliated hotel has drawn visitors with its ornate lobby and classically-styled rooms.

To book a king room with a premium view, expect to spend at least $517 per night or apply a minimum of 53,000 to 94,000 IHG Rewards points per night.

Kimpton Banneker Hotel

Located on a tree-lined avenue with a view down 16th Street Northwest to the White House, this Kimpton outpost is slightly off the beaten path ... in a good way.

The property's Lady Bird rooftop bar features a bird's-eye view of D.C., including an unobstructed look at the White House, and a centerpiece U-shaped bar. Rooms and suites feature modern, eye-catching designs with colorful local art and bold accent walls.

Because this property participates in the IHG Rewards program, you can use either cash or points to pay for a room here. A standard room with two queen beds starts at $315 or 53,000 points per night.

The White House has 132 rooms and its own restaurant. Here's what it's like inside Joe Biden's new home.

• In a recent town hall , President Joe Biden described the White House as a "gilded cage."
• Biden's new home consists of 132 rooms spread across three buildings.
• Here's a look inside the White House's most notable spaces.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Welcome to the White House, the most famous home in America where Joe Biden will live for the next four years.

It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Washington, DC, between the US Treasury and Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

He officially moved into the White House with his wife, Jill, and their two dogs, Major and Champ, on January 20.

In a recent CNN town hall, President Biden described his new home as "a gilded cage, in terms of being able to walk outside and do things."

Source: Insider

The massive building contains three connected but distinct sections: the East Wing, the West Wing, and the Executive Residence in the middle. Two colonnades run between them.

In total, the White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, and 28 fireplaces.

The six-story Executive Residence building is the White House's largest, consisting of two basement levels, a ground floor where building staff work, a state floor for events and receptions, and two floors where the first family lives and sleeps.

The oval-shaped Blue Room on the state floor is used by the president to formally receive guests. It boasts blue upholstery, blue curtains, and blue carpet and has stayed the same color since 1837.

To the left and right of the Blue Room are two parlors for entertaining. One, featuring bright red walls, is called the Red Room.

The other parlor, featuring green walls, is called the Green Room.

The East Room is the largest room in the Executive Residence. It is used for speeches, ceremonies, concerts, receptions, and dances.

The State Dining Room is where official meals, including state dinners, take place. It can seat as many as 140 guests.

The Lincoln Bedroom, containing furnishings from Abraham Lincoln's era, is one of several private living spaces reserved for the first family on the Executive Residence's top two floors.

The Yellow Oval Room, located above the Blue Room, acts as the first family's formal living room.

On the top floor is the solarium, nicknamed the 'sky parlor' by Former First Lady Grace Coolidge. It boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and opens up to a private balcony.

Throughout the home, there are several rooms for recreation. Beneath the North Portico in the Executive Residence basement is a one-lane bowling alley ...

... and a cinema room runs almost the full length of the East Colonnade. Here, presidents and their families can see any movie they want at any time of the day — even before they come out in theaters.

The East Wing is home to the offices of the White House private secretary, first lady, and their respective staff.

Though not recognized on any public White House map, there is a bunker below the East Wing where White House officials sheltered during 9/11. A second bunker is located beneath the North Lawn.

Source: Business Insider

It is also where public tours of the White House begin.

The West Wing is where the president's staff members work and contains some of the most notable rooms in the White House.

Among them is the Oval Office. It is the president's formal workspace, where he meets or takes calls with with heads of state, diplomats, and his staff.

The Oval Office is home to the famous Resolute Desk, which dates back to the 1800s and weighs over 1,000 pounds.

There are also several paintings, busts, and other decorations. Presidents decorate the office to their taste.

Right outside the Oval Office is the Rose Garden, used for special ceremonies and to greet distinguished guests.

The West Colonnade walkway, also referred to as the "45-second commute" by insiders, leads from the Oval Office to the Rose Garden and to the official residence.

The Cabinet Room is where the president meets with his ministers. It's customary for the president to sit near the center of the table.

In the basement is the Situation Room, a 5,000 square-foot complex where the president receives intelligence and crisis support. It is run by staff from the National Security Council.

A few rooms over, the US Navy operates a restaurant known as the Navy Mess and Ward Room.

One of the West Wing's most photographed rooms is the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room where the White House press secretary gives briefings to the news media.

The Roosevelt Room is often used to announce appointments and nominations of new staff members. It features paintings of both Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The office of the vice president is also located in the West Wing. Like the Oval Office, it consists of a desk and sitting area.

• Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article originally written by Amanda Macias.
• Inside Number One Observatory Circle, the often overlooked but stunning residence where Kamala Harris will live as vice president
• Inside Blair House, the president's official guest house where Biden stayed the night before inauguration
• Bowling alleys, movie theaters, and swimming pools: 17 things first families have added to the White House
• A short history of the secret bunker underneath the White House

• Main content

Get An Inside Look Of The President's Headquarters With This Must-Do Tour In Washington DC

As the official residence and workplace of the U.S. president, The White House is undoubtedly one of the most famous buildings in the world. With its distinctive columned porticos, elegant facade, and leafy surrounds, which are regularly beamed across the globe on television, it's also one of the most recognizable. But did you know that it's possible to take a tour inside this venerable location?

While it does require some advance planning, which we'll get to in a moment, it's worth it for the chance to get a sneak peek of this iconic landmark in  Washington, D.C . Originally designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the late 1700s, this neoclassical mansion today comprises three distinct sections: the Executive Residence at the center and, added later, the East and West Wings. Lasting 45 minutes, the self-guided tours take in the prestigious public rooms of the East Wing, including the Blue, Red, and Green Rooms, the State Dining Room, and the China Room, as well as a view of the famed Rose Garden.

What is more, and here's the particularly exciting bit, members of the Secret Service are on hand to answer any questions about each room. It's even okay to take a quick phone snap or two, according to Destination DC , the official marketing organization for Washington, D.C., though flash photography and video are not permitted. On top of all that, the tours are free of charge, therefore, ideal if you're traveling on a budget .

How to book a spot on a tour of The White House

As we mentioned earlier, the only snag is that securing a place does take a little bit of organization. In short, a formal request must be made through your Member of Congress at least 21 days — but not more than three months — in advance of the requested tour date. This can be done either in the old-school way, by calling the U.S. House of Representatives Switchboard at 202-225-3121 or the U.S. Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or otherwise online at www.congress.gov/members .

Alternatively, if you are a citizen of a foreign country, you will need to contact your embassy in Washington, D.C., for help submitting a tour request. While there is no official guidance on timings for international visitors, it's probably safe to assume that the earlier you can put in your request, the better.

In any event, the tours are available from Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (excluding holidays, extreme weather, or other extenuating circumstances), with guests assigned a specific time once the visit is confirmed. It's also worth noting that several guidelines must be followed on that day. For example, all visitors are required to present a formal ID upon check-in. In addition, there is a whole ream of items not allowed, from food and liquid to bags of any kind. So, it's best to read up beforehand and plan accordingly.

What happens if you don't get a place on a tour?

Finally, if your application for a tour place isn't successful, as they do get very booked up, don't be too disheartened. On the plus side, you can always catch a glimpse of The White House from the outside. For the best views of the exterior, head to Lafayette Square on Pennsylvania Avenue NW or The Ellipse in President's Park. Also, the gardens themselves are open twice a year, in the spring and fall, for free public tours. And, if all else fails, there is an immersive virtual tour created by The White House Historical Association , available online.

Alternatively, a visit to The White House Visitor Center, located next door, comes highly recommended. There, you can learn the full story of this renowned property, which has been the official residence of every U.S. president since 1800. As well as a museum gallery, interactive exhibits, and a large-scale model of The White House, the visitor center features nearly 100 artifacts — including the very desk used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Admission to the visitor center is also free.

However, if you are lucky enough to secure a spot on one of the special tours of the house, there really is no better way to get an inside look at the president's headquarters. Who knows, perhaps you'll even catch a glimpse of President Biden himself. Plus, what could be cooler than scoring a selfie at The White House?

A family travel blog

Visiting the White House- How to Get a White House Tour and What to Expect

Visiting the White House is the opportunity of a lifetime. The White House tour is one of my most memorable experiences from all of my trips to Washington, DC. It requires a bit of planning to schedule a tour of the White House. Trust me when I say that it is well worth the effort!

Table of Contents

How to Schedule a Tour of the White House

The National Park Service no longer schedules tours of the White House. Instead, in order to secure a public tour, you must reach out to a Member of Congress ( find your representative here ). Requests must be made at least 21 days in advance, and up to three months out. We suggest submitting your request as early as possible since a limited number of spaces are available.

Tours are typically available from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM Tuesdays through Saturdays excluding federal holidays. The tours are free of charge.

At this time, embassies are not scheduling tours for international visitors.  

After contacting your Congressperson, you’ll receive an email letting you know whether or not there are any White House tours available during your visit to Washington, DC. You will receive an email 2-3 weeks before your requested dates indicating whether or not the date is available.

If there are time slots available during your visit, you are assigned a specific day and time for your White House tour. Weirdly, when we requested our tour we received an email telling us there were no tours available. A couple of days later, I received a second email confirming our visit. At this time, I submitted our social security numbers and full names to the White House.

Once we received clearance, we received a “Boarding Pass” that we had to present to the Secret Service Agents, along with our IDs.

Required Documentation

In order to gain access to the White House, you’ll need to bring a copy of the letter of approval (a digital copy is okay) and a government-issued photo ID.  Acceptable forms of identification include driver’s license, passport, military ID.

Items Prohibited on the White House Tour

• Aerosol sprays
• Bags of any kind (including backpacks, purses, diaper bags, fanny packs, etc).
• Cameras with detachable lenses
• Weapons of any kid
• E-cigarettes, lighters, matches, tobacco products, drugs
• Foods and drinks
• Liquids of any kind
• Monopods & Tripods
• Toy weapons
• Video Cameras
• Pointed objects
• Any item determined to be a potential safety hazard

There are no storage facilities available during the White House tour.  There are also no restrooms available for public use.  We suggest using the restroom at the White House Visitor Center prior to your tour.

So... what can you bring...?

Honestly, you should plan on bringing as little as possible.  We brought our boarding pass, IDs, a credit card, a camera, a metro card, and an inhaler.  

Visitors will have to pass through strict security prior to entering the White House.  You’ll need to present your boarding pass, and ID cards (twice).

• Baby carriers worn on the body
• Breast pumps
• Cell phones
• Compact cameras with lenses less than 3 inches
• Umbrellas without metal tips
• Necessary medications

Remember, there is no storage available at the White House for guests.  If your hotel is nearby, we suggest leaving your belongings in your room.  If your hotel is far away, you can get a locker at Union Station.  The lockers are located near Gate A and are available from 6 am until 10 pm.  You’ll need a photo ID to get a locker.  The cost is $3-6 per hour depending on the size of your bag.

Arriving for the White House Tour

Parking around the White House is limited, so we strongly suggest using public transportation. The White House is easily accessible via the metro.

The closest metro stations are Federal Triangle (Blue/Orange lines), Metro Center (Blue/Orange/Silver/Red lines), and McPherson Square (Blue/Orange/Silver lines).

If arriving via rideshare , use the White House Visitor Center as the drop-off address. The White House Visitor Center is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The White House Tour entrance is located in Sherman Park at 15th Street NW and Alexander Hamilton Place NW.  We suggest stopping by the White House Visitor Center prior to your tour to use the restroom since there are no restrooms available for public use at the White House.

Know Before You Go

• Tours are self-guided and last about 45 minutes.
• Dress for the weather – you’ll need to wait outside until your tour beings.
• Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time . Late arrivals may be turned away.
• A National Park Ranger will help ensure you’re lined up with the proper group and will have Junior Ranger booklets available.
• All guests must be previous registered via the RSVP link provided by the White House (via email).
• No flash photography or videography is permitted (there will be Secret Service agents in every room)
• Although the tour is self-guided, the Secret Service Agents can be a wealth of knowledge about the items found in each room.

What Rooms Will I See on the White House Tour?

Prior to our trip I did a lot of research on what rooms we’d be able to see during our White House Tour.  Every website I checked listed the Blue Room, Red Room, Green Room, the State Dining Room and a view of the White House Rose Garden.

Much to my surprise, we actually got to see additional rooms!  One our tour, we toured both the State Floor and the Ground Floor.  We saw the movie theater, library, the East Room, Vermeil Room, China Room, State Dining Room, Green Room, Blue Room, and Red Room.

The White House tour was interesting.   Walking into the White House, I expected it to be just as opulent as  the Biltmore House and palaces such as the Tower of London and Versailles in Europe.  I was rather surprised to find that the rooms were much less stately.  The vibe felt a little more like going to visit your grandparents house, rather than the head of a country’s home.

That being said, it was really cool being able to marvel at the historical artifacts that decorate the White House.  We got to see Shikler’s portrait of JFK along with other portraits of past presidents, first ladies, and influential Americans like Benjamin Franklin.  It was very cool walking through the halls of the White House and retracing the footsteps of our nation’s leaders.

Secret Service agents are posted in each of the rooms.  Although the tour is self-guided, the Secret Service agents are a wealth of knowledge and will happily tell you about the history of the rooms and even give you the background information the art (and even artists!) and decor in each room.  Don’t be afraid to ask them questions- these ladies and gents are much more approachable than the guards at Buckingham Palace. 

Having the privilege of taking a tour of the White House is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  It is definitely something every American should do at least once in their lifetime!

What is There to do Nearby?

• The White House Visitor Center
• Ford’s Theatre
• National Children’s Museum
• National Archives Museum
• National Portrait Gallery
• National Museum of African American History
• Museum of Natural History
• National Museum of American History
• National Air and Space Museum
• National Gallery of Art
• National Museum of the American Indian
• Library of Congress
•  US Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Washington Monument
• World War II Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial

FAQ About the White House Tour

Can you visit the white house as a toursit.

Yes! You do not need an invitation for the White House tour.  You do, however, need to request a tour via a Member of Congress. 

Who is allowed to take a White House tour?

All U.S. citizens 18 years and older are able to request a tour of the White House.  Visitors 18 and older need to present a valid, government-issued ID.  At the time of publication, only American citizens are able to visit the White House.

Are kids allowed in the White House?

Yes!  This is a great place for kids to experience.  When we visited our twins were 4 and our daughter was 8.  This is a great way for kids to develop background knowledge for things they’ll learn in school!

Fun Fact:   While we were in the White House, we had to remind one of the boys not to touch anything.  In response, he made a face at Ashley behind her back. One of the Secret Service Agents laughed and said, “Man, you should have seen the face he gave you.”

Is there a dress code for the White House?

There is no set dress code for the White House.  Since we were visiting multiple places on the day of our tour of the White House, we wore jeans.

Visitors should plan on waiting in a line outside of the White House, prior to their tour, and should plan to dress for the weather outside.

How long does the White House Tour take?

Since the White House tour is unguided, you can take as much time as you need to see everything.  Most people spend about 30 – 45 minutes.

Can you take photos in the White House?

Photography is permitted so long as it does not interfere with other guests tour experience.  Phones and cameras with lenses no longer than 3 inches are allowed inside the White House.

Can I meet the President on the White House tour?

No, tours are limited to the East Wing.  The West Wing, and the Oval Office, are reserved for VIPs or guests of the President.

Save Our Info on Scoring a White House Tour

For future reference, be sure to save our post on getting a tour of the White House!   Pin one of the images below to Pinterest.  Go ahead and follow 5 Suitcases on Pinterest  while you’re at it!

If you’re planning a trip to Washington, DC, check out our 4 day itinerary and our list of 15 Must See Places in Washington, DC .  

Be sure to give us a like on  Facebook  or follow us on  Instagram   and  Twitter   for more travel tips and tricks. See you next time!

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Hello, thank you for the post about how to visit the White House! I was happy to find something beyond just the official government website. When you requested a tour via email, did you have to do anything besides ask? Do they pick and chose based on why a person is visiting? Just wanting to know how much information to put into my email request! Thanks!

Elle MacRae

Hey, Casey! In my initial email, I just sent the dates that we would be in DC and listed the names of each person in my group. Most states will send out a form for you to fill out with any specific information needed.

Dear _____,

My name is _____________. My family will be visiting Washington, DC between _______ and _______. We are interested in touring the White House and hope you could help us facilitate this. The following people will be traveling with me: ________________. Please let me know what further details you need in order to set up a tour during our visit.

Respectfully,

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It’s the most famous building in the United States and maybe the most recognized in the entire world.  I’m going to tell you how to tour The White House in Washington D.C.

While the doors may not be wide open as they were when it first opened in 1800 – with a little work and a bit of patience (and luck) you can step inside the home of America’s presidents and the top offices of the United States of America.

Because there’s such a huge demand for a relatively small amount of availability, planning ahead is key.  The White House website even notes that 6 months in advance is a good idea if you’re trying to book a tour. The minimum is 21 days.

So where do you begin? I first learned how to tour The White House back in 2014. I’ll tell you exactly how I’ve gotten in over the years and what you’ll see and experience while you’re there.

First Step To Tour The White House

The first thing you need to do is figure out what date(s) you’re going to be in the Washington D.C. area.  Once you have your dates – you will contact the office of a Senator from your state.  If you paid attention in grade school – you know that each state has two.  I live in Missouri and contacted Senator Roy Blunt’s Senate office in D.C. and they took great care of me.   If they offer a Capital tour while you’re speaking to them – book that, too!  Both are fantastic opportunities.

The website Senate.gov can help you find your Senator’s office and contact information.  A phone call is probably best but e-mail is fine, too.

After you inform your Senator – they will fill out a request and submit it to the Secret Service.  You will need to know the birth date, social security number and city of birth for each person that you want to go on the tour with you.  You cannot add people to the tour later on or show up with a different person, etc.   Make sure you know exactly who will be coming.  I happened to tour solo – which may be a good way to secure a spot as opposed to touring with a larger group.

Worst Times To Tour The White House

Spring and Summer are the worst times for booking a tour as demand is through the roof.  Late Fall and Winter are your best bets as travel and tourism is slower in colder months.

As your travel date closes in – you’ll receive word from your Senator’s office if you made the cut.  Let’s think positive and assume you are granted a tour of The White House!   You’ll receive a “ticket” (tours are free – this just has a confirmation number on it.)   It’s more of a welcome letter that gives you an 800 number to call on the day of your tour to check for last minute changes, a confirmation number and a list of items you cannot bring in.

What To Bring If You Want To Tour The White House

To put it simply – plan on bringing in nothing.  You are allowed to bring in a cell phone, jacket and an umbrella (if it’s raining). That’s pretty much it. There are no lockers and you’ll be turned away if you have items that are not allowed. 

Don’t risk it. Leave your crap at the hotel and follow the rules exactly. Depending on the administration, you may not be allowed to take photos inside The White House. (Obama’s White House didn’t allow it. Trump’s did. Apparently, so does the Biden administration.)

Secret Service guards are watching you the entire time.  Don’t think you’re clever or coy. This isn’t their first rodeo. The White House website has a list of all of the items that are prohibited.

How To Get To The White House By Metro

If you’re using the Metro to get to your tour – the McPherson Square stop is your best bet.  It’s a 5-10 minute walk to the White House from there.  If it’s your first visit to the area – you should consider reading my Easy Guide To Visiting Washington D.C. for some other tips that will save you some headaches, time and money – including a quick guide on how to use the Metro system.

How Early Should I Arrive To Tour The White House?

On the day of your tour, you should arrive about 15 minutes early near the south east corner of The White House where you’ll see several agents gathered and most likely a group of other tourists as well.  This is your first check point.  I should also mention that there’s a cool White House visitors center withing walking distance with some really cool exhibits and a neat video about living in the White House.  If you’re like me and afraid of being late – show up plenty early and hang out in the Visitor’s Center until it’s about 15 minutes prior to your tour time.

Once you’re ready – there are at least three check points before you’re finally cleared to enter The White House.  You’ll show your drivers license and an agent will check to make sure you’re listed on the official visitors list.  You’ll do this twice.  Then, you’ll enter into a small building where you’ll walk through a metal detector and put your keys, phone, etc onto a conveyer belt similar to an airport.  That’s your last check point.

Here’s where it gets interesting.  After that last check point, you walk through a door and down a ramp and as you look to your left — there it is!  The entrance to the east wing of The White House!   There’s nobody welcoming you or holding your hand – you’re just there like it’s no big deal at all.  You walk up the sidewalk, open the door yourself and before you know it – you’re standing inside the most famous house in the world.

What You’ll See On The White House Tour

As you walk into the east wing – you’ll see giant paintings of Presidents and First ladies.  Apparently, I was walking rather briskly as I heard a gentleman shout “Woah, woah woah… slow down man…. you’re in the White House!”   It was a secret service agent who wasn’t scolding me – but rather reminding me that I was experiencing a once in a lifetime moment and I should be taking my time.  He was right.

At the end of that first corridor you’ll see windows that show you a portion of the south lawn.  During my visit – I saw one of the staff members walking President Obama’s dog around the yard.  They were also setting up for the White House Christmas celebration as well – so workers were running around trying to get things in order.  Every day is different at the White House – you really never know what (or who) you might see.

What Parts of The White House Do You See On A Tour?

Now, for a bit of reality. You don’t get to tour the entire White House. Most people understand this but some get worked up about it. Standing anywhere inside the White House is a pretty cool thing and reminding yourself of that as you walk through really makes the tour pretty awesome.   You won’t see the offices or where the President lives – you’ll only see several rooms including the China room, Library and Blue room.  You’ll also see the famous east wing hallway where President’s are often seen walking as they deliver famous speeches on national television. You’ll also see the state dining room which is so much smaller than it appears in photos or on TV.

Speaking of small – the entire White House is SO much smaller in person that it appears on television.  Standing outside of the fence on the north side of the building I caught myself saying “This is it?”  I assumed the building would be much larger.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s beautiful and there’s plenty of space – it just is not as big as you’d think it would be.

The Furniture

One thing you’ll notice as you look at the furniture and historic pieces through the east wing – The White House is not over the top fancy.  It’s an historic home and structure and the furnishings and flooring show some wear and tear.  Instead of being disappointed, this actually made me happy.

  I like the fact that the leader of the free world lives in a place that’s beautiful but not built for a King.  If you’re a believer in ghosts or haunted houses – you certainly get the feeling there are all sorts of ghosts that probably mill around this place after dark.

Don’t Miss The Red Carpet!

While it’s rolled up during tours – you will see that iconic red carpet you’ve seen on television so many times.  Take a minute and walk down the hallway as far as you can after you exit the dining room and try to imagine what a President must be thinking as they walk to their podium for what’s usually a speech with bad news.   It gives you goosebumps thinking about all of the President’s that have walked in the exact same spot that you’re walking.

How Much Does It Cost To Tour The White House?

One thing people wonder about how to take a tour The White House is – does it cost anything? No! The tour is self guided as I mentioned and it’s completely free ! You can take as much time as you want although you’ll pretty much see everything in about 30 minutes or so.  It’s not much but it’s so worth it.

Conclusion of the Tour

At the conclusion of the tour, guests exit out the front door of The White House.  In fact as you exit, you’ll see the now famous fence that so many idiots have jumped over lately.  This is actually one area where the Secret Service allows you to take photographs.  I met a nice guy from southern California who was also traveling solo – we took photos for one another to remember the occasion.

*Update: The photo policy when taking a tour of The White House tends to change.  During our visit, there were no photos allowed, while in recent years some visitors have been allowed to take pictures.  Play it safe – don’t bring a fancy camera, just your cell phone.  If you can take pictures – awesome. Just be respectful of other guests and don’t treat your White House visit as a professional photo shoot.  Take a quick pic for a memory and move on so others can have their chance. 

After you breathe in your last bit of Presidential history – you walk down a sidewalk toward the fence and exit onto the pedestrian area where everyone is posing for pictures or protesting or just soaking it all in.

Is The White House Tour Worth It?

It really all comes down to your attitude as to whether you enjoy the White House tour or not. There’s certainly nothing to hate about it – but some folks will be upset they don’t get to see more.   Pardon the blunt truth – but, let’s get real. you’re not going to get to just walk around the entire place.  Perhaps back in the day, when fewer people were nuts but, sadly those days are over. 

Besides, just standing inside The White House is such an honor and a really cool feeling.

So, do the planning, and use these tips on how to tour The White House!

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Inside the White House

Tour the west wing, ww tour nav.

History   |   Interactive Tour   |   --> West Wing Tour   |   Executive Office Building Tour   |   Video Series   |   Décor and Art   |   Holidays

WW tour president letter

Letter from the president.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the West Wing of the White House. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt relocated his office from the second floor of the residence to this newly constructed building. The West Wing has expanded and undergone several renovations since then, but it has remained the official workplace of the President.

President Thomas Jefferson first opened the White House for public tours because he understood then, as we do now, that this house belongs to the American people. I am proud to continue his tradition. In our country, the halls of government are not reserved for a privileged few, and the President’s workplace should be no exception. Your visit today helps to fulfill my goal of creating the most open and accessible administration in American history.

Once again, welcome to the West Wing, and please accept my best wishes for an enjoyable tour.

Watch on Youtube

This Is A Tour Of The West Wing (In Sign Language)

West Wing Receptionist Leah Katz-Hernandez narrates a tour of the West Wing in American Sign Language, visiting the West Wing Lobby, the West Colonnade, the Rose Garden, the White House Press Briefing Room, the Cabinet Room, the Roosevelt Room, and the Oval Office. Watch here for a full audio description.

WW Tour ADA video

Ground floor.

1. Navy Mess

The Navy Mess at the White House, June 25, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Navy Stewards have provided food service to the Commander in Chief since 1880. The modern White House Navy Mess was established under President Harry S. Truman in 1951. The Navy’s culinary specialists prepare and serve fine foods in the West Wing.

Seated reservations are available to senior officials including commissioned officers, Cabinet Secretaries, and their guests. Staff located in the West and East Wing can enjoy food made in the Navy Mess from a take-out window located adjacent to the dining hall.

2. Situation Room

The Situation Room of the White House, Dec. 30, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Seated, from left, are: Brigadier General Marshall B. “Brad” Webb, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Months after being sworn into office, President John F. Kennedy was confronted with the Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba and insisted that intelligence information feed directly into the White House. The Situation Room was established in 1961 to meet President Kennedy’s request.

The current “Sit Room” is a 5,000-square-foot complex of rooms that is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to monitor national and world intelligence information. Televisions for secure video conferences and technology can link the President to generals and world leaders around the globe.

First floor

3. West Colonnade

President Barack Obama walks along the Colonnade of the White House to the Oval Office, Feb. 14, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Also known as the “45 second commute,” the West Colonnade was built for Thomas Jefferson to run alongside service spaces underneath the West Terrace, such as the ice house and storage rooms for coal and wood. The open columned walkway is now used by the President and his staff to travel between the West Wing and the Executive Residence.

4. Rose Garden & South Lawn

State Dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House, June 7, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama walks through the Rose Garden of the White House with National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, April 14, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Rose Garden was created by First Lady Ellen Axson Wilson in 1913. It was redesigned by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to serve as a Presidential reception area. President Nixon’s daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, was married here in 1971.

Marine One arrives at the South Lawn of the White House, Nov. 2, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The South Lawn is the site of the President’s Marine One arrivals and departures and includes the White House tennis court, putting green, and, as of March 2009, a kitchen garden. The White House Kitchen Garden includes over 50 kinds of vegetables, as well as berries, herbs, and a beehive.

5. Cabinet Room

President Barack Obama holds a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Jan. 31, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

In the Cabinet Room, the President meets with the Cabinet Secretaries, members of Congress, the National Security Council, and foreign Heads of State on topics ranging from energy efficiency to national security.

When the President meets around the large mahogany table with the Cabinet Secretaries, each is assigned a chair based on the date their department was established with the oldest Cabinet departments seated closest to the center. The President sits at the center of the table with his back to the Rose Garden doors and opposite the Vice President.

As a reflection of their inspiration and governing style, Presidents select the portraits that hang in the Cabinet Room. In May 2009, President Obama chose Frank O. Salisbury’s portrait of President Harry S. Truman to join the portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt already displayed in the room.

6. Oval Office

President Barack Obama works at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Feb. 11, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

As the official office of the President and his primary place of work, the Oval Office provides the President with easy access to his senior advisors and the Executive Residence.

Beyond its distinctive shape, the most famous feature of the Oval Office is the Resolute Desk. Made from timbers of the H.M.S. Resolute – a British navy ship – it was presented by Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. Since then, the desk has been used by every President with the exception of Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.

Other notable furnishings in the Oval Office are the two paintings that flank the south windows. The Avenue in the Rain by Childe Hassam, 1917, depicts Fifth Avenue in New York City adorned with flags and banners in support of the Allied war effort during World War I. The Statue of Liberty by Norman Rockwell was prepared for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post to commemorate the Fourth of July in 1946.

Each President decorates the Oval Office to suit his tastes, but some features remain constant including the white marble mantel from the original 1909 President’s Office, the Presidential Seal on the ceiling, and the two flags behind the President’s desk – the U.S. Flag and the President’s Flag.

In addition to covering the walls with hand-painted striped wallpaper, President Obama added a new oval-shaped rug, which is made of 25% recycled wool. This rug features the Presidential Seal in the center and five historical quotations of meaning by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy around its border.

7. Roosevelt Room

The Roosevelt Room occupies the original location of President Theodore Roosevelt’s office when the West Wing was built in 1902. This room was once called the Fish Room because President Franklin D. Roosevelt used it to display an aquarium and his fishing mementos. In 1969, President Nixon named the room in honor of Theodore Roosevelt for building the West Wing and Franklin D. Roosevelt for its expansion.

On the southeast wall hangs President Theodore Roosevelt’s Congressional Medal of Honor awarded posthumously on January 16, 2001 to honor his heroism in the Spanish-American War in 1898. To the left of the fireplace hangs President Theodore Roosevelt’s Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in 1906, for his mediation of the Russo-Japanese War peace settlement. This was the first Nobel Prize awarded to an American.

8. West Wing Lobby

The West Wing Lobby of the White House, Dec. 30, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

The West Wing lobby is the reception room for visitors of the President, Vice President, and White House staff. The current lobby was renovated by Richard Nixon in 1970 to provide a smaller, more intimate receiving space.

The large gilt clock was likely created from assembled parts (both old and new) to imitate an early nineteenth century clock, similar to those used in churches and other public buildings. The artist inscribed the name “Simon Willard,” an important clock maker at the turn of the nineteenth century.

The English-made mahogany bookcase (c.1770) is one of the oldest pieces of furniture in the White House collection.

Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) by Emanuel Leutze and Eastman Johnson is a recreation of Leutze’s monumental life-size painting of the same subject. The painting has numerous historical inaccuracies, including the depiction of the American flag which was designed more than a year after the crossing took place.

Vernal Falls is an 1889 view of a waterfall in the Yosemite Valley in California by Thomas Hill. Belonging to the permanent White House collection, this painting complements the c.1881 view of Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone by Albert Bierstadt that hangs on the same west wall of the reception room.

9. James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

President Barack Obama gives a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, June 23, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

During the Nixon Administration, more space was required to accommodate the growing press corps. Therefore, in 1970, the briefing room was constructed on top of the emptied pool that was installed for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s physical therapy.

In 2000, the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room was named in honor of former Press Secretary James Brady. He was shot and disabled during a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. Today, the current White House press corps is made up of about 200 members. With just 49 chairs (arranged 7 by 7), it is up to the White House Correspondents Association to decide who gets these coveted seats. A plaque on each seat displays the name of the news organization to which it is assigned.

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• HISTORY & CULTURE

Séances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occult

From Mary Todd Lincoln to Jane Pierce, they were swept up in the spiritualism movement of the 19th century—a belief that living souls can contact the dead.

The White House has hosted its share of prominent people: politicians, writers, musicians, scientists––and mediums.

Reflecting Americans’ belief in spirits unseen, some of the country’s first families held séances at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They nursed their grief with the help of mediums, demonstrating that séances aren’t only about the deceased; they’re also about the living.

Spiritualism comes to the White House

On January 6, 1853, newly elected president Franklin Pierce and his wife Jane experienced every parent’s worst nightmare. Their only surviving child, 11-year-old Bennie, died in a horrific train accident in Massachusetts.

Jane Pierce struggled to adapt to life without her child. She even wrote him letters as she secluded herself in her private quarters in the White House.

As Pierce fiercely mourned her son, a new religious movement took root across the country: Spiritualism , or the belief that the living could communicate with the dead. As historian Molly McGarry wrote in Ghosts of Futures Past , “a faith in Spiritualism and the experience that the dead continued to connect with the living” resonated in an America with an extensive mourning culture and “allowed some 19th-century Americans a new way of being in the world.”

Spiritualism’s popularity stemmed partly from 15-year-old Maggie and 11-year-old Katie Fox, sisters from Hydesville, New York. Though the pair lived relatively ordinary lives with their large family, they soon began making extraordinary claims. In 1848, they alleged that mysterious rappings in their family’s home came from a supernatural source: discarnate spirits. The sisters insisted they could communicate with them, interpreting the noises as a spectral form of Morse code.

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The Fox sisters’ allegations electrified Americans eager to connect with deceased loved ones—individuals such as Jane Pierce. Fascinated by their narrative, she invited them to Washington.

( Discover how the world went wild for talking to spirits 100 years ago .)

No one knows what exactly occurred between Pierce and the Fox sisters. But the White House session may have mirrored the Fox sisters’ other séances, which commenced with guests sitting in a circle, holding one another’s hands, and reciting a prayer. Then, the rappings would begin, and the sisters would allegedly lift the veil on the spirit world.

The Lincolns’ many tears

National and personal tragedy converged in the thick of the Civil War when Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln buried one of their children. On February 20, 1862, 11-year-old Willie Lincoln died in the White House after battling typhoid fever for weeks.

The boy’s death devastated both his parents, but Mary Todd Lincoln’s grief was especially debilitating. She stayed in bed for weeks and couldn’t bear to attend his funeral. But even when she rejoined society, Lincoln longed for a reunion with her deceased son.

So, she turned to mediums. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Lincoln biographer David Herbert Donald used surviving documents to calculate that the first lady may have held eight séances in the White House.

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Harry Houdini’s unlikely last act? Taking on the occult

Lincoln was killed before their eyes. Then their own horror began.

One occurred in December 1862, when Lincoln hosted the medium Nettie Colburn for a séance in the Red Room.

Colburn later claimed that the president joined the séance––and that, in her trance-like state, she didn’t limit herself to communicating with Willie Lincoln. Instead, the spirits she channeled urged the president to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which they predicted would “be the crowning event of his administration and his life.”

Sessions with Colburn and other mediums stoked the first lady’s faith that souls survive death. She even saw Willie in her dreams. “Willie lives,” she told her half-sister Emilie Todd Helm. “He comes to me every night and stands at the foot of the bed with the same sweet, adorable smile he always has had.”

The last gasp of spiritualism

The White House was again in a state of mourning during the presidency of Calvin Coolidge in 1924. Coolidge’s 16-year-old son Calvin played a game of tennis––but he wasn’t wearing socks with his shoes. A blister formed on a toe and festered, and the infection turned septic. He died on July 7.

So, did the Coolidges employ a medium to contact their son? Harry Houdini, the famous illusionist, believed they had. He deplored spiritualism, séances, and mediums, all of which underwent a revival in the wake of World War I and the influenza pandemic. He was on a quest to expose mediums and psychics as the charlatans he believed them to be.

His greatest show in 1926 was when he testified in a Congressional hearing considering a ban on fortune-tellers. During the hearing, it was alleged that Jane Coates, a medium in Washington, D.C., had said , “I know for a fact that there have been spiritual séances held at the White House with President Coolidge and his family.”

( Harry Houdini’s unlikely last act? Taking on the occult .)

Coolidge’s friends vehemently denied the allegation, drawing a clear line between what was acceptable––and what wasn’t. Séances, it seemed, crossed the line of respectability in a changing America.

By World War II, spiritualism no longer attracted the acolytes it once had, and White House séances became a curious footnote in history.

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Inside the Dorset home of Farrow & Ball's creative director

Two apartments bought a decade apart have been cleverly combined to create a comfortable and colourful home brimming with unexpected ideas.

Having lived in the top floor flat of an Edwardian property in Southbourne in Dorset for a decade, Charlotte Cosby and her husband Lawrence jumped at the chance to buy the ground floor flat when it came up for sale in 2020. They were excited to have the opportunity to turn the two apartments back into one house and create a fantastic family home for them and their children.

‘I love the feeling of early mornings and evenings in the summer when the light is “just so” and I really wanted to bring that mood into our hallway and give it a sense of wonder,’ says Charlotte. ‘We took hundreds of pictures of our favourite trees and gave them to artist Michael Angove, who turned them into this mural for us. He’s hidden little things within it, including the children and our house – I even showed him a picture my sister had drawn for me (it’s so bad it’s good) of a sea pig and there’s an exact replica sitting in one of the trees!’

Michael has taken the mural all the way up the stairs and it will eventually extend onto the landing. ‘I love how personal he’s made it,’ adds Charlotte. ‘It makes me smile when I come downstairs in the morning.’

Leading directly off the hall is the sitting room , which was designed so the family have a comfy nook to curl up in and take advantage of the evening light as the sun sets. ‘We wanted it to feel relaxed and informal, somewhere we can bring guests – and we can watch the children play in the garden from here,’ says Charlotte. The couple have ‘played with paint’ in this space, coating the ceiling and wall down to dado height in a warm off white, and below the dado, around the doorway – and even adding a temporary mantel effect – in a soft grey green.

Filled with an eclectic mix of items, the room is home to a woodburner and vintage finds sourced from antiques shops and eBay. ‘We prefer to buy secondhand pieces, such as the sofa, which is vintage Conran,’ explains Charlotte. ‘The rug is the only thing in here that’s new. I’ve had the oil painting above the fireplace for years, but never had anywhere to put it. I love the texture of the roses.’ The ceramics on little tables are from one of her favourite ceramicists, Margot Wilson.

Towards the back of the house is the kitchen/diner, which is part of an extension that was added when the property was turned back into a house. ‘We made a scale model of it from a cereal packet and gave it to our builder,’ says Charlotte. ‘Our most successfully designed rooms tend to be ones where we’ve found something we love as a starting point – in the kitchen it was the terrazzo worktop.’

Charlotte had always wanted British Standard cupboards and recalls feeling very ‘grown up’ placing the order. The parquet flooring was reclaimed and painstakingly laid by Lawrence. ‘I’m not sure we’ll be having parquet in any other rooms!’ adds Charlotte.

A pantry is a welcome addition. ‘We really wanted to be able to access things easily and designed the room with shelves so that we can actually see what we have and can get to it easily,’ she continues. ‘The kids often play in here and I love finding some crazy world they’ve created. Raffi’s flower shop with the leftover blooms from a photoshoot was a personal favourite – he was pretty good with the arranging.’

The pantry floor is from the original kitchen , discovered beneath a layer of vinyl, and an internal window doubles as a serving hatch, while the cupboards have been positioned to ensure that the dishwasher and sink are out of sight when the family are sitting at the dining table .

Colour continues upstairs. The inspiration for the main bedroom was striking blue velvet fabric – Charlotte used it to make the headboard which, she says, was surprisingly easy to do. ‘As with most of our rooms, this one has evolved over a series of discussions and contains pieces we’ve collected on trips,’ she explains. ‘We’re trying to get better at curating and thinning things down but it’s important that our personalities come through in each space.’ The drawers and bedside table in here are both from secondhand shops.

There was no holding back when it came to decorating the children’s bedrooms. Raffi’s is quite small: ‘When I moved into the first-floor flat in 2010, my dad helped me stick up half-planks of wooden panelling in this space, which was a spare room at the time,’ remembers Charlotte. ‘I did think about taking them down when it became Raffi’s bedroom but they give the wall texture and make it a little more interesting.’ A large print is from a wallpaper dealer in New York. It’s an eight-foot panel that Charlotte thinks is far too big for the room but somehow it works.

And Bea’s bedroom is no less fabulous. ‘We painted the stripes on the ceiling as Bea was desperate to have pink in her room,’ continues Charlotte. ‘It makes it feel cosy and ensures it has quite a lively spirit, much like its inhabitant! As kids’ bedrooms can get very hectic, we painted the floor blue and walls off white to help balance that a little. Like so much of the furniture in the rest of the house, the wardrobe, which has been painted in a pretty pink shade, is from a vintage shop.

'As both our children love drawing and painting, we needed an arts and crafts corner and found the perfect spot in Bea’s room. We wanted it to feel playful and fun but not too young. The table is vintage and can be wound up or down, so it can grow with her.’

But the bathroom, with its striking mural over the bath, has to be one of the real showstoppers of this house. ‘I saw the original Audubon Flamingo in the library at the National History Museum and fell in love with it – it was the obvious choice for the bathroom when I discovered that Surface View could print directly onto tiles,’ explains Charlotte. ‘I’ve had it for 10 years now but it’s still such a talking point.’

This quirky touch typifies the home that Charlotte and Lawrence have designed for their family – filled with creative flourishes and secondhand pieces that have a tale to tell; it’s a colourful, comfortable space and the perfect expression of all their personalities.

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Kim Kardashian's White House Visit Proves the Political Power of Some Good Glam

By Calin Van Paris

Activism is all about showing up as our authentic selves—and for Kim Kardashian , that includes full-face of soft glam. Kardashian visited the White House on Friday to champion criminal justice, her signature makeup look visually punctuating her points.

Vice President Kamala Harris hosted Kardashian and a group of people recently pardoned by President Biden to discuss the justice system and advocacy, missions that the White House is highlighting throughout “Second Chance Month.” To ready for the event, Kardashian tapped hairstylist Davontae Washington and makeup artist Ariel Tejada , the latter honoring Kim K's classic aesthetic with overlined nude lips, extra-long spidery lashes, a pull of warming blush, and a precise power brow.

Both the makeup and the messaging were consistent for Kardashian, who has used her platform and influence to push for criminal justice reform since 2018. “Every time I’ve gone and visited a prison, I’ve met some of the smartest individuals with the brightest ideas and to see the changes that are happening to make their reentry easier, I think, is going to be life changing and give so many people hope,” said Kardashian during the roundtable.

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Iraq criminalises same-sex relationships with maximum 15 years in prison

Iraq's parliament passed a law criminalising same-sex relationships with a maximum 15-year prison sentence on Saturday, in a move it said aimed to uphold religious values but was condemned by rights advocates as the latest attack on the LGBT community in Iraq.

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Margaret Josephs Shows Off Her Latest Renovation Project: “Rome Was Not Built in [a] Day”

The Real Housewives of New Jersey  cast member revealed what's getting a "full makeover" in her New Jersey home. 

Margaret Josephs  has a new renovation project in the works. 

How to Watch

Watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey  Season 14 premiere May 5th at 8/7c on Bravo and stream next day on Peacock .

Earlier in April,  The Real Housewives of New Jersey  cast member revealed via her Instagram that she's restoring her giant "Tudor front door" in a project that will take three weeks. 

Margaret Josephs reveals her latest renovation project 

"I didn’t think she looked bad for 118 years young but you guys obviously did!" Margaret captioned a video post where she revealed the project timeline for the incredible historical piece. 

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"Thankfully [ ZK Painting ] is going to give her a full makeover!" she said of the professional painter and refinished she hired to do the job. 

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"It is finally time for the Tudor club door to be refinished and be restored to the love and the original state it was once in," Margaret said in the video as professionals took the door of its hinges to be taken away for restoration. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Margaret Josephs (@therealmargaretjosephs)

The New Jersey resident also noted she's had the door "repainted a few times," but "it cracks" from exposure to the sun and elements. She also shared that Kenney's company is doing a "high gloss" on the door to give it that extra special sheen. 

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In a more recent Instagram Story, Margaret shared a reel of the door getting stripped and refinished via ZK Painting, "If [you're] wondering the progress of the front door!!" Margaret wrote over the reel, highlighting the intricacy of the process. "Rome was not built in [a] day!" 

The reel in question, shared by ZK Painting's Instagram page , showed the process of stripping the stains and paint detailed what went into the project. 

"Looks like this massive door for [Margaret] was originally stained and clear coated," the account captioned the video. "After we chemically stripped all the old layers of paint we used 60 grit sand paper and a hard pad to sand off the remaining stain and clearcoat. This reveals a fresh layer of wood and to makes everything flat in preparation for the piano black high gloss treatment this door will receive!

They concluded the caption by noting what comes next: "This was the easy part. Next we hand sand all the moldings!" 

Press play on the video above to tour Margaret's New Jersey home and watch  The Real Housewives of New Jersey  on  Peacock  and the  Bravo app . 

• Margaret Josephs

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

• Home And Design
• Renovations

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