While we all stress out over who will move into the White House in January, one of the building’s current occupants has unveiled some long-in-the-works upgrades to how visitors experience the historic D.C. residence.
This week first lady Jill Biden introduced a new version of the White House public tour that goes to more places than the previous iteration and has more interactive elements designed to teach visitors about the “living history” of the mansion by watching, listening to, and even touching stuff (replicas, mind you—keep your mitts off Mamie Eisenhower’s china). These are the first major updates to the tour in decades, according to the White House.
What’s New on the White House Tour?
Among the most significant changes: The expanded tour route now includes the previously closed-to-the-public Diplomatic Reception Room on the ground floor. This is where President Franklin D. Roosevelt recorded his “fireside chats” that were broadcast via radio during the Great Depression and World War II. Visitors will now hear audio clips of those speeches upon entering the room.
Additionally, several rooms that had been roped off at the doorway have been opened up more, allowing visitors to go inside for a closer look. On the ground floor, spaces now allowing greater access for tourgoers are, according to the Associated Press, the library, the China Room (we’re not going to warn you again about leaving the Eisenhowers’ gravy boat alone), and the tableware showcase known as the Vermeil Room. Upstairs, on the so-called State Floor, visitors get to step farther into the East Room, State Dining Room, and the Red, Blue, and Green Rooms.
Along the self-guided tour route, you’ll find fresh signage, starting with a video welcome from the first lady. A video from the president greets visitors in the East Room. Since the tour changes are expected to carry over to the next administration and beyond, the AP notes, the winner of November’s presidential election and his or her spouse will have the opportunity to record their own video messages for the White House tour.
Other technological improvements include a new 3D architectural model of the 18-acre White House complex and, in the East Colonnade, digital photo collages in place of a formerly static collection of printed photos that were “arduous to update and lacked key historic context,” per a White House statement.
In the various rooms along the route, interactive displays dubbed “reader rails” have been installed to fill visitors in on the uses of each room, to highlight certain artifacts, and to provide a chance to feel replicas of objects that are otherwise out of reach.
(Display on the White House tour in Washington, D.C. | Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)
So, for example, in the State Dining Room, one reader rail details some of the many formal dinners held there. Another display has a tactile replica of the inscription on the mantel and lets you see the quote within reading distance—the inscription comes from a letter John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on his first night at the White House. Yet another reader rail in the room points out noteworthy art and artifacts, such as the famous portrait of Abraham Lincoln over the fireplace.
The tour’s thoughtful enhancements were developed over the last 2 years by the first lady’s office in partnership with the National Park Service, the White House Curator’s Office, the White House Historical Association, presidential libraries, and the History Channel, which footed the bill.
Public tours of the residence are free but not easy to book. You have to request a tour well in advance through the office of one of your senators or representatives in Congress and then, if approved, register with the White House and complete some other steps.
To bone up on the full rigmarole, consult our webpage about visiting the White House or pick up a copy of Frommer’s Washington, D.C.—which, as it happens, arrived in stores this very week.
Securing a tour can seem daunting, but it’s obviously not impossible. After all, about 10,000 people tour the White House each week.