The White House, Washington DC

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the US President, built between 1792 and 1800 and continuously occupied since John Adams in 1800. The building stands on 18 acres at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and is simultaneously the most security-restricted and the most symbolically accessible building in American government: millions of people view it through the iron fence each year, but only a small fraction can enter.

Public Tours

Public tours are available for US citizens and require advance arrangement through your US congressman or senator’s office. Requests go on a wait list; tour availability is confirmed two to three weeks before the date. Tours are free, run Tuesday through Saturday mornings (7:30am to 11:30am Tuesday-Thursday; to 1:30pm Friday-Saturday), and cover the East Wing public rooms: the East Room, Red Room, Blue Room, Green Room, and State Dining Room. The Oval Office and residence floors are not on the public tour route. Tours typically last about 45 minutes.

Foreign nationals cannot obtain public tours through congressional offices. All visitors (US citizens 18+ and all foreign nationals regardless of age) must present a valid government-issued photo ID. No food, drinks, or large bags; there are no storage facilities at the White House.

The White House Visitor Center at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW is open without reservations, free, and has exhibits on White House history, furniture, china, and presidential portraits. Takes about 45 minutes.

The view from Lafayette Square on the north side and from the Ellipse on the south provide the standard photographs of the two facades and require no arrangements.

The National Mall

The immediate context matters as much as the building itself. The National Mall extends east from the White House area past the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. All are free and all deserve time. The Washington Monument (555 metres, elevator tickets required) gives the aerial context of the city plan.

Smithsonian Museums

Ten Smithsonian museums are on or adjacent to the Mall, all free. The National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History are the most visited. The National Gallery of Art (technically not Smithsonian but free and adjacent) holds one of the most significant art collections in North America, including the only Leonardo da Vinci painting on permanent display in the Americas.

Getting There

McPherson Square (Blue, Orange, Silver lines) or Federal Triangle (Blue, Orange, Silver lines) metro stations are both about 5 minutes’ walk to the White House. Public transport is strongly recommended as there is no public parking on or near the grounds.