Introduction
If you are interested in taking a tour of the whitehouse, then you should be glad to know that this historical building is open to all members of the general public. However, you must prepare for the visit in advance and submit a formal request. Public tours of the white house are scheduled on Tuesday through to Saturday, from 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., with the exception of federal holidays. Tours are arranged for groups of ten individuals or more. Here are some of the steps you should take to prepare yourself for the trip.
History
The first step you should take in preparing your trip to the whitehouse is to set a date for your visit. You will be required to send in a request, through your congressional representative. This request should be sent at least a month away from your visit. Visitor requests are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis and there are no fees or administration charges for the visit. Due to the huge number of requests, guests are always advised to send it their requests as early as possible.
Features
In order for anybody to gain access to the whitehouse, they must have clearance from the secret service. The request you send should indicate the names and date of birth of all the members in your tour group. If they are over 14 years of age, then you should also add their social security numbers and country of citizenship. Once the request has been cleared, individuals over 14 years of age will be required to present photo identification, which should match the details that were previously given the request for a visit. If any of the details do not match each other, then the affected individual(s) will be denied entry. If your group is not made up of 10 people, then you could request to be paired up with another small party of visitors.
There are certain items which visitors are prohibited to carry during the tour of the whitehouse, such as handbags, purses, backpacks, book bags, foods and beverages of any kind, cameras, strollers, any type of recording device, any pointed objects, personal grooming items, aerosol containers, and weapons. Cell phones, wallets, umbrellas and car keys are allowed. You should note that there are no storage facilities on the grounds. Therefore, individuals who arrive with any of the prohibited items mentioned above will be barred from entering the building.
Tips and comments
In order to make your visit a lot more fun for yourself and your party, you should try and come up with a check list of important items you would like to see during your visit. This can be presidential portraits, architectural details, furniture, etc. if you have small children in your group, then you should prepare them on the decorum they will be expected to show during the tour. For instance, let them know that they will need to follow rules and directions provided by your tour guide.Plan to arrive at the whitehouse least one hour ahead of the scheduled time. You can spend your time at the White House Visitor Center, before the tour starts.
