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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.

the whitehouse tours

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White House

White House public tour requests are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and must be submitted through a Member of Congress and their Congressional Tour Coordinator. 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 8:00 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.

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Plan Your Visit

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Can I tour the White House? How do I get tickets? Find out how to make the most of your visit through the White House Visitor’s Center, an interactive museum that we’ve helped to renovate and maintain in partnership with the National Park Service. You might also enjoy our unique cultural and educational programs, many of which take place in the historic Decatur House just a block away from the White House itself.

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

Benét J. Wilson

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.

the whitehouse tours

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.

the whitehouse tours

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

the whitehouse tours

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

the whitehouse tours

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

the whitehouse tours

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

the whitehouse tours

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 whitehouse tours

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

the whitehouse tours

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.

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.

Touring the White House - Washington, DC

Touring the White House - Washington, DC

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.

The White House - North Lawn and Entrance - Washington, DC

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.

@abroadwife - View of National Mall from South Lawn during White House Garden Tour - Free activities in Washington, DC

@abroadwife

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

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.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

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.

White House Illustration

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. 

The White House

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.

The White House Experience Mobile App

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.

Melania Trump White House Kitchen Garden

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.

white house easter egg roll

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

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

White House Aerial View

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.

White House North Side

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

White House South Side

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

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

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

JW Marriott Washington DC

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

Sofitel Lafayette Square Washington DC

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

Club Quarters Hotel in Washington DC

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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White House tours are back!

Vanessa Romo

Vanessa Romo

the whitehouse tours

White House tours are once again open to the public, offering people a glimpse into the East Wing of the first family's temporary home, including the Blue Room, Red Room and Green Room; the State Dining Room; the China Room; and a view of the White House Rose Garden. Ron Edmonds/AP hide caption

White House tours are once again open to the public, offering people a glimpse into the East Wing of the first family's temporary home, including the Blue Room, Red Room and Green Room; the State Dining Room; the China Room; and a view of the White House Rose Garden.

There's great news for curious lookie-loos: Public tours of the White House have resumed.

Officials announced that the free tours will initially be available from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding federal holidays. Rules for visiting the presidential work-live manse remain the same. According to the White House:

Public tour requests are scheduled on a first come, first served basis and must be submitted through a 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 Representative's Switchboard at 202-225-3121, the U.S. Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or online at www.congress.gov/members .

Would-be visitors will also have to get the timing just right. Requests must be submitted 21 days to three months in advance of the desired visit.

The People's House has been periodically closed to the public through part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, those who are lucky enough to book a slot can get an IRL look into several rooms in the East Wing of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, including the Blue Room, Red Room and Green Room; the State Dining Room; the China Room; and a view of the White House Rose Garden.

The Secret Service can also be a part of the experience. In addition to keeping an eye on the valuables, it's available to answer questions about the history and architecture of each room.

Here's a bit of what visitors can expect to see:

the whitehouse tours

President Barack Obama looks at a portrait of President John Adams while waiting in the White House's Blue Room prior to a news conference in the East Room on Feb. 9, 2009. The White House/Getty Images hide caption

President Barack Obama looks at a portrait of President John Adams while waiting in the White House's Blue Room prior to a news conference in the East Room on Feb. 9, 2009.

The Blue Room wasn't a thing until 1837, when President Martin Van Buren — the eighth president of the U.S. — introduced the color blue into the decorating scheme.

Before that, there had been a bit of a kerfuffle over how the large oval room, which later became the inspiration for the design of the Oval Office, should be decorated.

Apparently, President James Monroe wanted to deck out the room in a French Empire style and placed an order for a suite of French mahogany furniture through the American firm Russell and La Farge, with offices in Le Havre, France, according to White House records.

"However, the firm shipped gilded furniture instead, asserting that 'mahogany is not generally admitted into the furniture of a Salon, even at private gentlemen's houses.' "

the whitehouse tours

Refreshed wall fabric brightens the Red Room in September 2019. Patrick Semansky/AP hide caption

Refreshed wall fabric brightens the Red Room in September 2019.

The Red Room was mostly yellow until 1845, when President James K. Polk and first lady Sarah Polk added red- and green-covered rocking chairs, ottomans, armchairs and lounges. That's when it went from being called the Washington Parlor to the Red Room.

In March 1877, it became the scene of President-elect Rutherford B. Hayes' historic swearing-in, which in some ways paralleled the Electoral College vote count of Jan. 6, 2021.

The White House Historical Association states on its website:

"Political tensions ran high after his bitterly contested election over Samuel J. Tilden, so Hayes secretly took the Oath of Office at the White House. Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday that year, and this swearing-in avoided a 24-hour delay in the transfer of power and any perceived danger of a coup."

the whitehouse tours

Paintings of past presidents adorn the walls as a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling of the Green Room on Jan. 21, 1963. AP hide caption

Paintings of past presidents adorn the walls as a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling of the Green Room on Jan. 21, 1963.

John Quincy Adams, the United States' sixth president, came up with the idea of calling this room the Green Drawing Room sometime between 1825 and 1829, according to the White House.

"The inspiration for the name may have come from Thomas Jefferson's use of the space as a dining room, when he covered the floor with a green-colored canvas for protection."

During its most recent renovation, then-first lady Melania Trump added a portrait of former first lady Edith Roosevelt, wife of President Theodore Roosevelt.

State Dining Room

the whitehouse tours

President Biden speaks about the January jobs reports during an event in the State Dining Room on Feb. 4. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

President Biden speaks about the January jobs reports during an event in the State Dining Room on Feb. 4.

The State Dining Room has been through some wild makeovers, growing from an intimate space to a cavernous hall that can seat up to 140 guests.

While today's version, most recently revamped by then-first lady Michelle Obama, is calming and elegant, with ivory walls and a muted blue rug, earlier versions included intricate wall paintings and walls in "many shades and textures of yellow and highlighted in silver," according to the White House Historical Association.

President Theodore Roosevelt expanded the dining room and added some personal touches that were very on-brand for the outdoorsman: He hung "a large moose head above the fireplace and placed other game trophies on the natural oak panels," states the association's website.

the whitehouse tours

The Truman china set is displayed on a table in the White House's China Room. This set, selected by first lady Bess Truman in 1951, is the first state china service to feature the presidential coat of arms as redesigned by President Harry Truman in 1945. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption

The Truman china set is displayed on a table in the White House's China Room. This set, selected by first lady Bess Truman in 1951, is the first state china service to feature the presidential coat of arms as redesigned by President Harry Truman in 1945.

This room is entirely dedicated to holding and displaying china used by dozens of U.S. presidents. It was first called the Presidential Collection Room, but in 1917, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, President Woodrow Wilson's second wife, decided to display the growing collection of White House china throughout the room.

The Associated Press reported that first lady Mamie Eisenhower "was instrumental in locating the personal china of Presidents Johnson, Taft, Harding, Coolidge and Hoover to complete the collection."

White House Rose Garden

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Tulips add an annual burst of color during spring in the White House Rose Garden. J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press hide caption

Tulips add an annual burst of color during spring in the White House Rose Garden.

Yes, it's called the Rose Garden, but countless other blooms are to be found, depending on the season.

While the garden was established in 1913, it was President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy who in 1961 decided to breathe new life into the space.

The White House Historical Association states that the couple was inspired after a state visit to France, England and Austria: "The President had noted that the White House had no garden equal in quality or attractiveness to the gardens that he had seen and in which he had been entertained in Europe. There he had recognized the importance of gardens surrounding an official residence and their appeal to the sensibilities of all people."

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White House resuming full slate of public tours after more than a year of disruptions

WASHINGTON — Public tours of the White House will return to a full operating schedule next month, after nearly a year and a half of disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Self-guided tours of the executive mansion were suspended when President Joe Biden took office, as officials tightened virus protocols in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They resumed on a limited basis on April 15, being held only Friday and Saturday mornings, and will return to their normal schedule from Tuesday through Saturday, excluding federal holidays, beginning on July 19.

The White House said Monday it will “continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation with guidance based on recommendations from the CDC, and other public health officials and medical experts, and reserves the right to adjust availability of the public tours as necessary to adhere to the latest health guidance.”

'WHERE HISTORY HAPPENED': Inspiring destinations that touch America's past

COVID EXPOSURE ON PLANES?: I took a CO2 detector on a flight. It showed me when I was most likely exposed to COVID.

What COVID safety measures are in place for White House t?

Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has had any virus symptoms within 10 days of a scheduled tour is urged to “stay home.”

The same goes for people who've been in close contact with someone who is suspected of having the virus.

Face masks will be made available for visitors who want them, though use will be optional.

How much does it cost to tour the White House?

White House tours are free, but require reservations.

How do I get a tour of the White House?

Tour requests must be made through a member of Congress between 21 to 90 days in advance. 

International visitors may submit requests through their respective embassy in Washington, D.C.

Contributing: Eve Chen, USA TODAY

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In a first, Vice President Harris visits…

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How onepulse broke orlando’s heart | a special report, news politics election, in a first, vice president harris visits minnesota abortion clinic to blast ‘immoral’ restrictions.

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By DARLENE SUPERVILLE (Associated Press)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris visited a Planned Parenthood clinic on Thursday, marking what her office said was the first time a president or vice president has toured a facility that performs abortions, as the White House escalates its defense of reproductive rights in this year’s election.

“Right now, in our country, we are facing a very serious health crisis,” Harris said. “And the crisis is affecting many, many people in our country, most of whom are, frankly, silently suffering.”

The clinic, nestled in an industrial area near the city line between St. Paul and Minneapolis, has been a beacon for many women in the region. Although Democratic leaders in Minnesota have protected abortion access, neighboring states have banned or severely restricted the procedure with policies that Harris described as “immoral.”

“How dare these elected leaders believe they are in a better position to tell women what they need,” Harris said. “We have to be a nation that trusts women.”

Harris said she met two dozen health care workers at the clinic who had created an environment where patients can “be safe” and “free from judgement.”

Dr. Sarah Traxler, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States, introduced herself as “a proud abortion provider” and called Harris’ visit a “historic moment.” She said the number of patients visiting the clinic from out of state has doubled.

“Everyone should have the right to access health care,” Traxler said.

Protesters gathered across the street, holding signs that said “life is a human right” and “abortion kills a human being.”

Cathy Blaeser, the co-executive director of the anti-abortion group Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, said, “The vice president’s visit shows the Biden administration’s full-blown devotion to extreme abortion policies.” She added that “Minnesotans don’t want to be known for abortion tourism.”

The White House has few options to protect access to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, clearing the way for Republican-led states to enact limitations or bans on the procedure. But the visit reflected Democrats’ intense focus on reproductive rights to rally their voters to reelect President Joe Biden in a likely rematch with Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Harris, the first woman elected vice president, has led the White House’s outreach, and her trip to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is part of a nationwide tour she began in January.

The decision to make a historic visit to a clinic showcased her more aggressive approach to the issue than Biden. While Biden has vowed to restore Roe v. Wade’s protections if Democrats regain full control of Congress, he tends to talk about the “right to choose” instead of saying “abortion.”

During her visit, Harris spoke plainly about women’s health needs and the clinic’s role in providing birth control and preventative care.

“Everyone get ready for the language — uterus,” Harris said. “That part of the body needs a lot of medical care from time to time.”

After visiting the clinic, Harris spoke at a campaign event held at the Coven, a coworking space that caters to women in St. Paul. She said Minnesota had “once again demonstrated to our nation just how much progress a Democratic trifecta can make,” a reference to the party’s control of the governor’s office and both legislative chambers.

Democrats harnessed that power in January 2023 by rushing through legislation that enshrined in state law the right to abortion and other kinds of reproductive health care. There are no restrictions on abortion at any stage of pregnancy in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, abortion is currently illegal in more than a dozen states, including Minnesota neighbors North Dakota and South Dakota, and is restricted in Iowa and Wisconsin. Harris blamed Trump for the erosion of abortion rights and called him the “architect of a health care crisis.”

“Let us all recognize who is to blame,” she said. “The former president, Donald Trump, handpicked three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would overturn Roe. He intended for them to take your freedoms. And he brags about it.”

Trump touted his role in eliminating the nationwide right to abortion during a recent Fox News town hall, saying, “I’m proud to have done it.” During his term, he tipped the ideological balance on the high court by nominating three conservative justices, paving the way for the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

Since then, Democrats have felt encouraged by electoral victories in 2022 and 2023 when abortion access was on the ballot. And in his State of the Union address last week, Biden vowed that “we’ll win again in 2024.” He also said that if voters “send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.”

Before the flight back to Washington on Thursday, Harris surprised Central High School’s girl’s varsity and junior varsity softball teams at practice. As she watched, Harris told the players, ’I’m impressed.”

Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed from Washington.

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StarTribune

Vice president harris coming to the twin cities on thursday.

Vice President Kamala Harris will make her third trip to Minnesota with a stop in the Twin Cities on Thursday, the White House announced Sunday night.

Harris has been traveling across the country since January and will come to the metro area as part of her "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour, the White House announcement said.

The specific details surrounding her visit have not been released.

Harris launched her tour in January in Wisconsin as part of a series of events to speak out against abortion bans following the Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe v. Wade.

"I will continue to fight for our fundamental freedoms while bringing together those throughout America who agree that every woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body – not the government," Harris said in a statement at the time.

Harris last visited Minnesota last year when she toured a bus manufacturing plant in St. Cloud.

Tim Harlow covers traffic and transportation issues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and likes to get out of the office, even during rush hour. He also covers the suburbs in northern Hennepin and all of Anoka counties, plus breaking news and weather. 

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The White House is escalating its defense of reproductive rights with Vice President Kamala Harris visiting a Planned Parenthood clinic, in what her office says is the first time a president or vice president has toured a facility that performs abortions.

In a first, Vice President Harris tours Minnesota clinic that performs abortions

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In history-making visit, Harris tours Minnesota abortion clinic

Vice President Kamala Harris greets Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at Planned Parenthood on Thursday in St. Paul, Minn.  (Glen Stubbe)

Vice President Harris traveled to Minnesota on Thursday to visit a Planned Parenthood health center that provides abortions in what is believed to be the first time an American president or vice president has toured such a facility while in office.

Her visit underscores the emphasis that Democrats are placing this election year on abortion access, an issue they believe heavily plays to their advantage.

Harris, the first female vice president, has become a leading voice on reproductive rights for the Biden administration since the Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade . Her visit to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is part of a multistate tour on the heels of President Biden’s State of the Union address last week.

Harris arrived at the St. Paul facility Thursday afternoon, where she was greeted by Sarah Traxler, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, and embarked on a tour. She was joined on the tour by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, D, and Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn.

There were about two dozen antiabortion demonstrators who stood outside the health center when Harris arrived, and while the vice president was touring the facility, it remained open for patients to be treated, according to the media pool.

After the tour, Harris told reporters she had met with about “two dozen health-care workers who … really care about their patients.” She said she saw “people who have dedicated their lives to the profession of providing health care in a safe place that gives people dignity. And I think we should all want that for each other.”

Harris also said that, in the wake of the decision to overturn Roe , there has been a “health-care crisis” that included the shutdown of clinics across the country that provide reproductive health care, including abortions.

The situation, she said, has left “no options within a reasonable geographic area for so many women who need this essential care” at these clinics, which provide an array of reproductive services beyond abortions, such as cancer screenings and access to birth control.

Since the Supreme Court’s decision and abortion restrictions in several states that have followed, Minnesota – a state where there is broad access to abortion – has experienced a surge of patients from out of state seeking abortions. Last year, Walz signed a bill that enshrined abortion and other reproductive health-care rights into Minnesota law.

Harris said Thursday that elections are “what has led to ensuring that these fundamental rights are intact” in states such as Minnesota.

Jessica Mackler, president of Emily’s List, a national political group that supports abortion rights, said in a statement that by touring the clinic in Minnesota, Harris was “using her own power and status to shine the light on issues that need to be addressed, and this history-making visit will keep the issue of abortion rights and access in the forefront, where it should be.”

While the Biden administration has largely reached the limits of its authority to protect abortion access, Democrats, including Biden and Harris, are putting access to reproductive care front and center in an election year.

It’s an issue that has been broadly successful for the party in elections since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe . And it’s also something that remains on the minds of voters. Polling this month from KFF found that 1 in 8 voters now say that abortion is the most important issue for their vote in the 2024 elections.

Biden last month criticized former president Donald Trump for wanting to “rip away” rights. In January, he took part in White House and campaign events focused on reproductive health care. The Biden campaign also released a one-minute ad featuring a woman who was forced to leave Texas to end her planned pregnancy when her fetus was diagnosed with a fatal condition.

At last week’s State of the Union address, Biden and Democrats again sought to make reproductive health-care access a top priority.

First lady Jill Biden and congressional Democrats invited several guests whose lives have been affected by restrictions on reproductive health care. In his speech, the president never used the word “abortion,” but he vowed to protect reproductive freedoms and acknowledged the political reality of abortion rights.

“Those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women,” Biden said, in an apparent reference to Trump, his 2024 Republican rival. “But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and we won in 2022 and 2023. And we’ll win again in 2024.”

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RuPaul Serves Some Confounding Truths in ‘The House of Hidden Meanings’

Chronicling the high-heeled path to drag-queen superstardom, the new memoir also reveals a celebrity infatuated with his sense of a special destiny.

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A black-and-white photograph shows RuPaul from the waist up, wearing makeup and a blond wig with a topknot, standing in front of a poster advertising his own performance.

By Saeed Jones

Saeed Jones is the author of three books, most recently “Alive at the End of the World.”

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THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN MEANINGS: A Memoir, by RuPaul

As “The House of Hidden Meanings” is RuPaul’s fourth book and his first straightforward memoir, it’s understandably being marketed as an opportunity to see the pop culture icon in a new light. The striking, almost intimidating, black-and-white cover photograph notably subverts the expectation of seeing Ru in glamorous technicolor drag. All the artifice has been stripped away, we’re being told: This is RuPaul stripped bare.

But the meanings laid bare in the text contradict RuPaul’s narration again and again. What’s revealed is a striver high on his own supply who tries to spin his story as empathetic wisdom draped in Instagram-ready captions.

About 70 pages in, RuPaul — at the time, a Black high school dropout driving luxury cars across the country to help a relative flip them for profit — declares without irony, “Americans have always been frontiersmen, people who are open to a new adventure, and I felt this as I drove cars alone, back and forth, across the United States.”

I wearily recalled an earlier section of the book. Explaining the conservative environment of his childhood in San Diego, RuPaul summarizes the Great Migration in a paragraph that would be considered too concise even for a Wikipedia entry, then declares, “All the Black people in our neighborhood were transplants from the South, and so they had inherited a kind of slave mentality, which was based on fear.”

Aside from breathtaking dismissiveness of the decades of racial violence that made the migration necessary, it’s chilling to see a public figure known as a champion of the marginalized so easily dismiss survivors of Jim Crow-era terror as people who “hold onto their victim mentality so fiercely; it becomes a defining feature of their identity.”

The way we tell our stories has a way of telling on us. The memoir reveals an author who thinks he understands outsiders when, really, all he understands is that he wanted to become famous and eventually became famous. And given RuPaul Charles’s truly extraordinary talent, that would be fine if the book (and his brand) weren’t so invested in trying to convince the rest of us that he has unique insight into the joke called life.

Whether your introduction to RuPaul was his 1989 appearance in the “Love Shack” music video , his breakout single “Supermodel (You Better Work)” or, more recently, his Emmy Award-winning run as the executive producer and host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” currently in its 16th season, you know that RuPaul isn’t just famous, glamorous and funny; he’s interesting.

At his best, he has reminded us that “fierce” is a warning, not just a compliment. (I’ll never forget sitting cross-legged in my living room, watching RuPaul onstage at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, confronting Milton Berle’s anti-gay disrespect in real time while they presented an award together.) And as the self-declared “Queen of Drag, ” an art form and pop phenomenon that remixes identity, music, fashion, comedy and politics into a fantasia that’s wickedly entertaining and often radical, RuPaul has lived a life, honey. Without question.

But living a life and coherently expressing a life story on the page are two very different arts. Rather than patiently allowing his tale to unfold, he struggles not to remind us that everything that has ever happened to him happened for a reason.

Then again, maybe he has a point. When RuPaul’s mother — one of the book’s truly standout characters — was pregnant, a psychic told her that she would have a boy and that he would be famous. As RuPaul writes, “With that in mind, she gave me the name RuPaul because, as she put it, ‘Ain’t another [expletive] alive with a name like that.’ Fame, for me, was less a dream than a predestination.” In other words, “The House of Hidden Meanings” is less a memoir than a prophecy unpacked in reverse.

And so, via a fire hose of anecdotes, minor characters and ready-made wisdom (much of which longtime fans will recognize from TV and other books), “Hidden Meanings” traces RuPaul’s curlicue path from early life in San Diego to the Black Mecca of Atlanta in the late 1970s and ’80s, to the club kid scene in New York and, finally, to the early years of true fame brought into focus by the success of “Supermodel.”

For readers who approach the celebrity memoir as a scavenger hunt, there are some fun finds here. A friend comes back from an Atlanta bar and quotes Lakesha Lucky, a drag queen there, saying, “You’re born naked, and the rest is drag,” during her act. The mantra has since become a RuPaul staple.

Madonna glares at RuPaul one night at the Pyramid Club. Elton John, Crystal LaBeija and Susanne Bartsch make brief appearances. Liza Minnelli drifts through a paragraph and is gone before the paragraph is over.

More than half of the book is set in Atlanta, where RuPaul and a revolving cast of “bohemian scallywags” embraced public-access television, drag bars and dilapidated apartments to create a punk scene. In successfully bringing this world to life, the book allows us to see an outsider embracing his fellow outsiders, by necessity, sure, but also out of deep love.

The most compelling chapter comes at the two-thirds mark, after what looks like a promising start in New York City falls through, and Ru ends up back in his mother’s California home.

Though he spends much of the book on the thin side of poverty, this protracted ordeal is the first time we see the glimmer in his eyes start to flicker. The precarity of this moment is all the more moving because RuPaul hits it big in the next chapter. He just has to hold on a little longer.

With 30 pages left to go, he meets Georges LeBar, the man who eventually becomes his life partner. The search for love is a consistent theme, which makes such a rushed depiction of its turbulent arrival all the more confusing. The moment our author — a triple Scorpio for those of us keeping tabs — actually finds love, he cuts himself off in the middle of the story.

Throughout “The House of Hidden Meanings,” RuPaul doesn’t hesitate to mention that luck was on his side. He nods to the specter of H.I.V./AIDS, the crack epidemic, even his run-ins with the police, then quickly turns back to his once-in-a-generation fortune.

But in this chapter, we’re reminded that the true miracle isn’t that he became famous, but that he survived an era that claimed the lives of countless young gay Black men, many of them just as talented, funny and interesting. Perhaps they are the meaning this country has worked so hard to keep hidden from us.

THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN MEANINGS : A Memoir | By RuPaul | Dey Street | 256 pp. | $29.99

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Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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Ex-Trump White House official convicted of…

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Ex-trump white house official convicted of contempt must report to prison, appeals court finds.

FILE – Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, followed...

FILE – Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, followed by demonstrators, leaves the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Washington, Jan. 25, 2024. An appeals court Thursday, March 14, denied Navarro’s bid to stave off his jail sentence on contempt of Congress charges for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro has been ordered to report to a federal prison by March 19. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE – Peter Navarro, former director of the White House...

FILE – Peter Navarro, former director of the White House National Trade Council, speaks during CPAC at National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 24, 2024. An appeals court Thursday, March 14, denied Navarro’s bid to stave off his jail sentence on contempt of Congress charges for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro has been ordered to report to a federal prison by March 19. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court denied Trump White House official Peter Navarro ‘s bid to stave off his jail sentence on contempt of Congress charges Thursday.

Navarro has been ordered to report to a federal prison by March 19. He argued he should stay free as he appeals his conviction for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

But a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. disagreed, finding his appeal wasn’t likely to reverse his conviction. His attorneys declined to comment but have previously indicated he would appeal to the Supreme Court.

Navarro was the second Trump aide convicted of contempt of Congress charges. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon previously received a four-month sentence but a different judge allowed him to stay free pending appeal.

Navarro was found guilty of defying a subpoena for documents and a deposition from the House Jan. 6 committee. He served as a White House trade adviser under then-President Donald Trump and later promoted the Republican’s baseless claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Navarro has said he couldn’t cooperate with the committee because Trump had invoked executive privilege. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta barred him from making that argument at trial, however, finding that he didn’t show Trump had actually invoked it.

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Reddit reveals FTC inquiry into deals licensing its users’ data for AI training

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and rapper Fat Joe led a White House discussion Friday on easing marijuana penalties, with Harris saying it’s “absurd” that the federal government classifies marijuana as more dangerous than fentanyl, the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually the United […]

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Cartoon by Walt Handelsman for March 16, 2024.

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By LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump White House official Peter Navarro appealed to the Supreme Court Friday to allow him to stay out of prison as he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction. Navarro is due to report to a federal prison next week, after an appeals court ruled that his appeal […]

Trump White House official Peter Navarro asks Supreme Court to stave off contempt sentence

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  1. Visit The White House

    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.

  2. How Can I Tour the White House in DC?

    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 ...

  3. How to tour the White House

    The National Park Service does not schedule White House tours or provide tickets to enter the White House. Public tour requests must be submitted through a Member of Congress. These self-guided tours are generally available Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted). Tours are scheduled on a first come ...

  4. tours.whitehouse.gov

    Explore the history and beauty of the White House with online tours that let you see the rooms, artworks, and gardens of the presidential residence. Learn how to request a public tour for 2022 or sign in to your account if you already have one.

  5. White House

    Public tours are typically available from 8:00 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 ...

  6. White House Visitor Center

    The White House Visitor Center, located at 1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW ( map ), offers visitors a window into the president's iconic home. Admission is free. The park's operating hours and seasons webpage lists the current hours. Security screening, similiar to TSA-style airport security, is required for entry to the visitor center.

  7. Plan Your Visit

    Find out how to make the most of your visit through the White House Visitor's Center, an interactive museum that we've helped to renovate and maintain in partnership with the National Park Service. You might also enjoy our unique cultural and educational programs, many of which take place in the historic Decatur House just a block away from ...

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

    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 ...

  9. How to Book White House Tours When Visiting Washington DC

    Pick a date or date range for your visit. Contact your state representative (Congressman or Congresswoman, or state senator) to submit a request for tour tickets. All public tour requests must go through your congressional office. Wait for confirmation of your ticket request for public tours of the White House.

  10. How Can I Tour the White House in DC?

    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 ...

  11. How To Visit the White House & Get A Tour [+ Virtual Tour]

    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.

  12. Public tours of the White House are set to resume Friday : NPR

    Ron Edmonds/AP. There's great news for curious lookie-loos: Public tours of the White House have resumed. Officials announced that the free tours will initially be available from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p ...

  13. How to Visit the White House: A Local's Guide

    You'll want to arrive at the White House around 15-30 minutes before your tour is set to start. That will most likely be between the self-guided tour hours of 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. from Tuesday to Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday or Saturday. Luckily, the White House is near the centerpoint of DC public transportation, so ...

  14. White House Visitor Center

    The White House Visitor Center is a nearly 1,600 square foot museum-caliber visitor experience featuring interactive exhibits, a large-scale model of the White House, numerous tactile exhibits, museum galleries, a temporary exhibit area, and the White House Historical Association retail shop. The Visitor Center provides a window into the Executive Mansion and its history as a companion to a ...

  15. White House tour schedule to resume in full in July; what to know

    White House tours are free, but require reservations. How do I get a tour of the White House? Tour requests must be made through a member of Congress between 21 to 90 days in advance.

  16. Visiting the WHITE HOUSE

    See the White House inside and out! From inside the gates and in through the East entrance to the front entrance! You'll see the East room, Blue room, Gree...

  17. The White House, Washington, DC

    The White House: Our most recommended tours and activities. 1. From New York City: Washington and Philadelphia 1-Day Tour. Learn about American history on a tour of Washington DC and Philadelphia, both of which played important roles in the development of democracy in the USA.

  18. Visiting The White House and Washington D.C

    Foreign nationals wishing to tour the White House must apply to their country's embassy or consulate in Washington, D.C. This means that the U.S. Embassy in London and the Consulates General in Belfast and Edinburgh can't arrange a tour for you. We understand from our colleagues at the British Embassy in Washington that they are unable to ...

  19. In a first, Vice President Harris tours Minnesota clinic that performs

    Harris, the first woman elected vice president, has led the White House's outreach, and her trip to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is part of a nationwide tour she began in January.

  20. Vice President Harris coming to the Twin Cities on Thursday

    34. Share. Vice President Kamala Harris will make her third trip to Minnesota with a stop in the Twin Cities on Thursday, the White House announced Sunday night. Harris has been traveling across ...

  21. JUST ANNOUNCED: The Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour!

    The time has finally come for you to join us as we embark on The Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour We're celebrating 30 years of the Blue Album, and we're bringing along The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr for the ride. Not only are we playing the album in full each and every night of the tour, but we also plan on playing all of your favorite ...

  22. In a first, Vice President Harris tours Minnesota clinic that performs

    The White House is escalating its defense of reproductive rights with Vice President Kamala Harris visiting a Planned Parenthood clinic, in what her office says is the first time a president or vice president has toured a facility that performs abortions. Published 12:58 PM PDT, March 14, 2024.

  23. In history-making visit, Harris plans to tour Minnesota abortion clinic

    News; Nation/World; In history-making visit, Harris plans to tour Minnesota abortion clinic March 14, 2024 Updated Thu., March 14, 2024 at 1:03 p.m. Vice President Kamala Harris answers questions ...

  24. White House employee to tour contaminated site in Upstate

    White House employee to tour contaminated site in Upstate. Published: Mar. 12, 2024 at 6:50 AM PDT | Updated: 7 minutes ago. An environmental quality chair with the White House will be in ...

  25. Book Review: 'The House of Hidden Meanings,' by RuPaul

    As "The House of Hidden Meanings" is RuPaul's fourth book and his first straightforward memoir, it's understandably being marketed as an opportunity to see the pop culture icon in a new light.

  26. Ex-Trump White House official convicted of contempt must report to

    FILE - Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, followed by demonstrators, leaves the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Washington, Jan. 25, 2024. ... In a first, Vice President Harris tours ...

  27. Harris becomes 1st vice president to tour abortion provider

    Turn On. Vice President Kamala Harris made a historic appearance Thursday at a Minnesota women's reproductive health clinic that performs abortion services. It's believed to be the first time a ...