White House tours are completely free of charge, but require advance planning through your Member of Congress (for U.S. citizens) or embassy (for international visitors) and are subject to last-minute cancellations. You must request tours well in advance (3 weeks to 90 days) and have valid photo ID, with availability generally Tuesday through Saturday, excluding holidays.
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.
White House tour requests should be made through your Member of Congress, which may be submitted 7 – 90 days in advance of the requested tour date. Tours are generally available 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
All tickets are provided to constituents on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the large number of visitors, please request them as early as possible in order to maximize your chances. Obtaining a White House tour can be very difficult.
From 1983 until 2019, Trump's primary residence was the three-level penthouse on the top floors of Trump Tower; in 2019, he declared Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, to be his primary residence. During his presidencies, Trump has resided and resides at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Donald Trump gives JD Vance first look at White House Oval Office
What president totally gutted the White House?
The next major renovation, and perhaps the biggest one, happened under President Harry Truman in the late 1940s. In response to structural deficiencies, his architects decided to gut the entire interior, leaving only the exterior walls intact, between 1948 and 1952.
The Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC, PEE-ock) was a bunker underneath the site of the East Wing of the White House complex. It served as a secure shelter and communications center for the president of the United States and others in case of emergency.
The tour begins outside, rain or shine, so dress accordingly for the weather. Etiquetteer also thinks you should dress for Perfect Propriety - one never knows when a Very Important Person might appear - but most tourists appeared in tourist clothes: cargo pants, jeans, sweaters, etc.
Permitted Items: Phones and compact still cameras with a lens no longer than 3 inches are allowed inside the White House. Photography is permitted but may not interfere with the enjoyment of other guests on the tour.
To request a White House tour, please contact your Member of Congress. Contact information for all Congressional Offices can be found on Congress.gov. Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance and no less than 21 days prior to the desired tour date.
Did you know? There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. Every president since John Adams has occupied the White House , and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls.
From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden on the South Lawn in November 2022, the White House has long been the site of wedding ceremonies and receptions.
Umbrellas, wallets, car keys, and cell phones (including those with cameras) are permitted. However, guests will not be allowed to use cell phones inside the White House. Phones used inside the White House may be confiscated by US Secret Service.
Their job is to rush forward, not wait for intruders to reach their zone. The Secret Service won't say how many agents there are. They carry semiautomatic pistols, shotguns and machine guns. On the White House roof, teams of snipers keep watch.
(b) It shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map or graphical representation of the Pentagon Reservation without first obtaining permission of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Installation Commander, or the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.
The Red Room is one of three state parlors on the State Floor in the White House, the Washington D.C. home of the president of the United States. The room has served as a parlor and music room, and recent presidents have held small dinner parties in it. It has been traditionally decorated in shades of red.
The "333 rule" in clothing refers to two popular minimalist fashion concepts: the viral TikTok trend of using 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes to create numerous outfits (9 items total) for styling practice, and the more extensive Project 333, where you select 33 items (including clothes, shoes, and accessories) to wear for three months, excluding essentials like underwear, workout gear, and sleepwear, to simplify your wardrobe and reduce decision fatigue. Both methods focus on versatility, quality over quantity, and creating a functional capsule wardrobe.
The "5 Outfit Rule" is a mindful shopping guideline: before buying a new clothing item, you must be able to immediately envision styling it in at least five different, distinct outfits using clothes you already own, ensuring versatility, reducing impulse buys, and building a more functional wardrobe. This encourages thoughtful purchases that get more wear, preventing clutter from items worn only once or twice, and helps create a cohesive, mix-and-match capsule closet for various occasions and seasons.
How difficult is it to get a tour of the White House?
All tickets are provided to constituents on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the large number of visitors, please request them as early as possible to maximize your chances. Obtaining a White House tour can be very difficult.
The ghost of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, also known as the White House Ghost, is said to have haunted the White House since Lincoln's assassination in 1865. Lincoln's ghost has also been said to haunt many of his former residences in Springfield, Illinois, including his former law office.
The President's Bedroom is a second floor bedroom in the White House. The bedroom makes up the White House master suite along with the adjacent sitting room and the smaller dressing room, all located in the southwest corner.
August 24, 1814 – During the War of 1812, the British Army raided and set fire to the White House, along with the Capitol and many other Washington, D.C. structures.
