First Lady Unveils Enhanced White House Public Tour
For the first time, guests get to see the Diplomatic Reception Room and learn more about the happenings inside the White House.
Visitors to the White House will now get to experience more of the Executive Mansion than ever before.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden unveiled the first significant upgrade in the White House public tours in decades, a project, she says, was two years in the making. New to the tour means a bit more access to visitors. Previously, several rooms on the public tour of the White House were roped off and visitors could only look inside. Now, visitors will be able to go further inside each room and learn more about the room and its history.
The tour has also been expanded to include the Diplomatic Reception Room, the location of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR) historic “fireside chats” during the Great Depression and World War II. There, audio of some of FDR’s fireside chats will play for visitors as they come through the room, according to the White House. One reader rail highlights the room's panoramic wallpaper, Views of North America, and hosts a recreation of a 1939 Philco radio that plays snippets of various fireside chats given by FDR during his presidency.
In addition to the Diplomatic Reception Room, visitors will also have expanded views of the library, China Room and Vermeil Room that engage people with digital exhibits. The China Room includes a slide show of all the presidential china patterns. The Vermeil Room houses a collection of gold-plated silver tableware. Guests can now step into rooms to have a better view of the entire room instead of it being roped off at the entry.
“More than 10,000 visitors come through these doors each week on the public tour and it’s such an opportunity for students of all ages to learn about our country’s history, civics, and the lives of Presidents and their families,” said Biden, herself an educator. “When Joe became president, I took a look at the public tour, which I’m told hasn’t seen any significant improvements in decades, and thought there has to be a way to reimagine this tour experience, add more educational content and story-telling, while also preserving and protecting its history. So, we did.”
Guests are now greeted at the start of the tour with a video message from Dr. Biden. President Joe Biden has a video message on display in the East Room. As administrations change, so will the messages from the president and their spouse.
Abby Magariel, a former museum education director who has taken the public tour several times and who was among the first to experience the enhanced tour, said the historic interpretations and interactive elements, videos and photo gallery along the East Colonnade created an entirely different vibe to the tour that previously felt somewhat “distant.”
“The written information was informative, but not overwhelming,” she added. “It also included many references to first ladies highlighting their contributions to the building and history.”
The tour upgrades, supported by a $5 million donation by The History Channel, also included more educational and engaging elements along the route, created by ESI Design, which is known for its educational improvements to the Liberty Island and Ellis Island museums. The History Channel has previously produced short films for historic sites across the country including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the Statue of Liberty, and the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center.
“Preserving our country’s history, investing in education, and engaging the next generation is at the heart of the new expanded White House tour,” said Paul Buccieri, President & Chairman, A+E Networks Group, which includes The History Channel. “We are honored to join First Lady Jill Biden on this special initiative to enhance the White House tour experience for the American public and visitors from around the globe.”
The project was done in collaboration with the National Park Service, White House Curator’s Office, White House Historical Association, presidential libraries and The History Channel.
Stewart D. McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association noted that Dr. Biden’s “passion for education inspired this deeper engagement every visitor will now have with the White House.”
Previously, the East Colonnade contained static photo collages, which were arduous to update and lacked key historic context or information. Visitors will now approach the East Colonnade and see a long corridor punctuated by permanent digital displays nestled below archways, embracing the design and feel of the previous collages, according to the White House. The graphic and media displays at each archway will showcase various “eras” of American history, segmented to capture historic moments of the White House and the presidency.
The Living Timeline accommodates various experience modes ranging from Tour Mode, to Residential Mode, and Special Events Mode. These modes ensure the Living Timeline is a versatile tool that can evolve with the White House and moments across history.
After passing through the East Colonnade, visitors enter into the East Garden Room, where they will be greeted by a new 3D architectural model of White House’s 18-acre complex. Four supporting models depict the White House at key stages in its evolution. The dynamic model takes guests through the architectural history of the White House, beginning in 1792 and encompassing significant architectural milestones, according to the White House. The model is internally illuminated. Lighting cues are choreographed with a supplemental media screen that highlights important milestones pertaining to the architectural history of the White House.
“To preserve our history, we must teach it. We learn from the wisdom of the past and weave it into our future,” Biden said. “And, as you walk through this house, I hope you'll feel the history here. It's your history, and it lives in each of you, connecting you to those who have walked before you and to each other.”