White House Tour

I thought it was finally time to share about our tour of the White House!  Let me first say that we were incredibly honored to be invited to tour the White House and it was a once in a lifetime experience.  However, if I’m being completely honest, it was also a crazy experience for us!  For whatever reason, that day Camden and Ella were being a little “extra”.  They are two so they are always a little crazy but they were definitely on an entirely different level this day, haha!  I actually was really sick and they probably had a little bit of my bug too.  Enough about that…here is a little bit about our day visiting the White House and some tips if you were to go!

Our Experience

I honestly expected the staff to be a little stiff and unfriendly just because security is so critical at the White House. I was VERY wrong. The staff was so amazing…they were friendly, nice, and made us feel welcome and safe.  Camden at one point started yelling for no reason and one of the staff got down on his knees to talk to Camden, it was so kind.

We made it through security and then started walking into the White House…talk about goosebumps! It felt so surreal.

It’s a self-guided tour which worked out really well for us since we have young kids that have a short attention span.

One of the first things we walked through was a log hallway that houses portraits of former presidents and their families.

Then we walked past a window and I couldn’t help but notice the soccer net outside for Barron Trump, that was pretty cute to see!

Next, was Family Theater! I remember seeing pictures of Presidents and their families in here!

That’s when things started getting a little insane. Camden and Ella decided they wanted to sit on the floor, play with the White House pamphlet, or scream…

Next was the Vermeil Room.  They use this as a display room specifically for gilded silver or for a formal event as a ladies sitting room.

The China Room was next! This was awesome, this is where they display the White Houses’ collection of state china.

Next up was the East Room.  This room is beautiful and is the largest room in the White House! They use it for receptions, ceremonies, press conferences, and other events. It also displays the famous Portrait of George Washington.

Then we headed towards Cross Hall.  I didn’t see much information on this on the tour but Judd and I both knew it looked very familiar.  Turns out, it’s used a lot.  It’s actually where Obama gave the famous speech about the death of Osama bin Laden.

Next up…the Green Room. This was Thomas Jefferson’s dining room and now is used for receptions and ceremonies.  At this point in our tour, both Camden and Ella wanted to be carried which would have been fine but they both weigh 25 and 30 pounds and only wanted me to carry them.  My arms thought they were going to break by the end of the tour and I was super jealous of my husband (the kids wouldn’t let him hold them) so he got to enjoy it a little more than I did.  He did an amazing job taking pictures even of the crazy moments though! We love you, Judd!

Onto the Blue Room…This is a regularly used room now, the President uses it when he has guests.  The White House Christmas tree is placed here every year.

The kiddos might have been a little extra but they sure looked cute! 😉

The Red Room was next.  This is apparently the favorite room of many First Ladies.

We walked into the State Dining Room next. This looks bigger in pictures compared to in person.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still big! It can hold 130 guests and is often used for formal dinners and luncheons.

One more family photo inside.

Then we headed outside to the White House lawn and driveway. We took way too many pictures here because I was determined to get a good family picture!  Thanks to all the people who took millions of pictures for us.

Camden and Ella ask to go back to the White House all the time now.  We just laugh every time…that’s not happening anytime soon, kiddos! 😉

Well we survived and won’t ever forget this exciting and crazy day!

I wanted to share some information that I learned that might help you while planning your future trip to the White House…

Getting Tickets/Tour Invitation

Public tour requests must be submitted through one’s Member of Congress.  These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted).  Tour hours will be extended when possible based on the official White House schedule. Tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. You are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible as a very limited number of spaces are available. 

Good to Know

• There are no bathrooms! Make sure you go before you enter security.

• No food or drinks allowed!

• No bags are allowed, not even diaper bags or small purses.

• No strollers are allowed.

• Parking can be difficult, it’s hard to find street parking. We paid for valet parking at a hotel close by, The Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. It wasn’t cheap but made the day less stressful. Make sure you figure this out prior to the day of your tour because DC traffic is CRAZY!

• Make sure you have a government issued ID with you.

• You can take pictures with your phone or small cameras but no video recorders are allowed.

Thank you to The White House Staff for having us (and not kicking us out), this is something we will never forget!  If you want to read more about our trip to D.C. and our stay at the amazing Georgetown Suites, check out this blog post.