The President of the United States and the First Family may live and work in the White House, but it’s also the “People’s House,” and for many people, a trip to Washington, D.C., isn’t complete without a tour of the famous landmark.
Public tours of the White House have been canceled for more than a year to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, however, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced public tours of the White House will resume on Friday, April 15.
Tours will be held on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Resuming tours of the White House is possible in part due to rising COVID-19 vaccination rates. At the same time, case counts in the Washington, D.C., area are falling. Indeed, the 14-day change in COVID-19 cases in the area on March 17 was -45 percent, according to The New York Times.
“The White House 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,” the Biden-Harris Administration explains.
What Visitors Can See
The White House has had a long and storied history. First, George Washington picked the site of the White House in 1791. Then, during the War of 1812, part of the building was damaged when British soldiers set it on fire. Notably, every president since John Adams has lived in the White House, although it has gone through numerous extensive renovations.
“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,” according to Washington.org. “Secret Service members are stationed in each room and are available to answer questions about the history and architecture of each room.”
How To Tour The White House
The only way to tour the White House is to request a tour. Here’s how to do that.
“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,” the White House explains. “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.”
As has been the case in the past, White House tour requests must be submitted at least 21 days in advance but no more than 90 days in advance.
Finally, as you would expect, anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, has experienced any COVID-19 symptoms, or has been in contact with someone confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 within 10 days of a planned White House tour should stay home.
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