It's not particularly easy to tour the White House. To schedule a White House tour typically requires requesting to do so through your Congressional representative (meaning, your senator or representative in the House of Representatives). It's even more difficult to get inside the West Wing and Oval Office, because they're not on the public tour routes—your only way in is by invitation, or through a private tour via a staffer or official.
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Now visitors can get a taste of what happens in the people's house, and in the president's formal working space, with no delay through a new interactive visitor center, The People's House: A White House Experience, which opens today. A partnership between the White House Historical Association (a nonpartisan, nonprofit body that was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy to restore and preserve the White House) and Panasonic Corporation, the interactive experience takes visitors inside iconic parts of the People’s House.
Located across the street from The White House, the three-story space has galleries and exhibits that let visitors walk in the footsteps of the people who work in the West Wing, and a 1:5-scale replica of the south facade of the White House.
Here’s what to expect: Inside a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, visitors can sit behind the Resolute Desk as if they’re signing bills into law, or taking an important call with world leaders. Visitors can walk through a representation of the Rose Garden, and pretend they’re being welcomed on the South Lawn for a ceremony. A 360-degree projection allows visitors to experience spaces on the State Floor, like the Blue Room, East Room, Red Room, and more. The space has reproductions of all the art and objects that decorate the president’s space, too.
First lady Jill Biden, plus reps from the historical association and other guests, recently commemorated the grand opening. “I’ve been personally involved in this project for the past two years, and especially as an educator, I’m so excited to see it opening to the public. It will be an extraordinary complement to White House public tours, and free and accessible for all,” she said in a news release.
Reserve passes online to visit. The center is open daily from 9am-5pm; admission is free, but there's a suggested $15 donation. Take a look at images of The People's House: A White House Experience below.
