White House Tour for Kids

Having lived in Washington, DC for over a decade, a tour of the White House is something that has always been “on the list” of things to do, but not something we have actually gotten around to doing. I decided earlier this year that it was an opportunity we should not pass up and decided to look into the process of arranging a tour of the White House.  Even though there was a lot of waiting up front, I highly recommend a White House tour for kids visiting Washington DC.

White House Tour Tickets

The President’s Park, or The White House, is generally available for public touring Tuesdays through Saturdays, excluding holidays. Tours are self-guided, and although the White House is maintained by the National Park Service, the National Park Service does not operate tours.  For US citizens and legal residents, tours can be requested via your member of Congress. Citizens of foreign countries can request tours via their embassy in Washington, DC. Tours are pre-scheduled, and the NPS website warns that visitors should request tickets well in advance of their scheduled trip to Washington, DC.

I requested our tickets for a White House tour through Senator Mark Warner’s website. Although the procedure may vary depending on which member of Congress you’re requesting tickets from, Mark Warner’s website was easy to understand and very thorough. Individuals are permitted to submit three different dates that fall between three weeks and three months of the date of request and instructions were clearly spelled out on the website. Almost immediately after I submitted my request (group size, email address, tour dates), I received a confirmation email stating that my request had been received and that I would receive further correspondence from the White House.

My request for a White House tour was submitted to Mark Warner’s website on January 26 and three days later, on January 29, I received an email from the White House indicating that my request had been received. The email requested additional information, including the full names, dates of birth, and social security numbers for all individuals seeking to participate in the tour. The deadline to submit the information was February 2, one week from the date of the email and the email clearly indicated that the tour was not yet confirmed and that any confirmation of a tour would come 2-3 weeks prior to the requested tour date.

Now, I actually managed to completely forget about the White House tour and that we had requested a tour on certain dates. I had originally put down three dates and neglected to mark them on my calendar. On March 2, one month after the registration deadline for submitting names and background security check information, I received an email from the White House Visitor’s office saying our tour was confirmed! We were given a date and time and instructions regarding what was permitted and what was not permitted.

White House Tour Rules 

On the day of the tour, we arrived early and simply found street parking. We walked over to the White House, passing by the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is occupied by the Executive Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President, on our way over. The EEOB is a beautiful building and I always find it to be impressive.

As per the email instructions, we found our way to the entrance located at the intersection of 15th Street NW and Alexander Hamilton Place NW but we were dismayed to find an extremely long line. We waited at the back of the line for a little bit, before rumors indicated that visitors who had a 12:30 tour (which we did), were able to  enter the complex.  We decided to walk up to the front of the line and check and yes! Lo and behold, those with a 12:30 tour time were permitted to enter (it was 12:30 when we got into the outside line), so we quickly entered the complex where we found… another line.

As I looked in dismay at the line(s) in front of us, my preschooler happily proceeded to run off and jump up and down the steps to this statue.

I won’t lie, the lines were long and onerous…. but, they weren’t as long and onerous as I thought they would be. From the time we entered the complex to when we entered the actual White House, we waited in three lines for a total time of about one hour. Although my three year old did not love waiting in line, at least the weather, although chilly, was relatively warm for winter in DC.

Multiple signs indicating working canines and yes, we saw many in action!

Once we were inside the White House, wee were a bit surprised to find that it was truly a self-guided tour. We were free to walk and browse at our own pace, and there were Secret Service members littered about, ready to engage and answer questions. They were surprisingly friendly and full of information. One member, when asked about the rolled back carpets, said that the carpets are rolled up for tours but that otherwise, the carpets are unfurled, the ropes (closing off entry to the rooms) are open, and people are free to enter and use the rooms as they see fit. She also mentioned that just a few days prior, the entire hall of rooms had been open for a St. Patrick’s Day party and that there were upwards of 300+ guests milling about the White House.

The White House Rooms

Upon entry, we walked the halls of the downstairs, where we saw photo montages from past and present. The view of the back yard was spectacular.

It was St. Patrick’s Day after all!

I was amused to find even a White House gift shop!

The truly beautiful rooms, however, were upstairs… I absolutely loved seeing the State dining room, which was much smaller than I expected, and the character of each individual room was lovely to admire.

I loved seeing the State dining room, which was MUCH SMALLER than I expected!

Per the guards, the rooms that are available for touring change, depending on the needs of the building. Presumably, returning visitors might see something different each time. Although, I’m almost certain the tour begins downstairs, and all visitors get to see the photo montages and the view of the yard.

Walking through the White House took us at most 30 minutes and we never felt rushed or crowded. Although sometimes there would be a group gathered at one particular spot, we simply moved away and looked at something else, then returned when space opened up. It really was a much more enjoyable experience than I expected, especially given that I was wrangling my three year old during his customary nap time.

As we exited the building, I turned around to admire the exterior architectural details, which were much more intricate than I expected. I also noticed that we walked past the Treasury Building, which, along with the EEOB, flanks the White House.

Final Thoughts:

• I would absolutely visit the White House if given the opportunity and if you know you’re coming to DC, you should put in a tour request well in advance.
• Don’t worry about what you’re wearing – there were people there in ties and people in yoga pants and/or sweats. No one blinked an eye.
• I was there with my rather rambunctious three year old and none of the guards blinked an eye. I’m pretty sure they’ve seen it all, so don’t worry about bringing kids provided you can keep them from truly running amok.
• As I’ve mentioned before, the White House is conveniently located nearly right across the street from the Renwick Gallery, so this is a great opportunity to double up on DC activities without having to travel too far.

Walking past the Renwick on our way back to the car.

Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Washington, DC with kids! We are so lucky to call this place home and hope that our tips and tricks come in handy as you plan your own adventure in Washington, DC!