New Rules on White House Tours

www.whitehouse.gov/history/tours

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
(202) 456-7041 (24-hour Tour Information)
Metro: Metro Center, Federal Triangle, or McPherson Square

Self-guided tours of the White House are scheduled Tuesday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 

The following are new rules and regulations set forth by the White House effective September 2010 that all Congressional offices must follow: 

• All requests must be made through a Congressional office ("drop-in" and "stand-by" tickets are no longer available at the Visitor's Center)

• Requests should be made as early as possible.  I encourage individuals to submit their request six months in advance to give our office the best possible chance of succeeding. 

• Your request must now include the following information: 
  
  Name
  Date of Birth
  Gender
  Social Security number
  Country of citizenship
  City and State of residence
  (Attendees under the age of 16 do not need to submit their Social Security number.) 

• Decisions will be made by the White House Visitor’s Office on a first come, first serve basis.  The Visitor’s Office will notify our office 7-10 days prior to the date of your requested tour.

To submit a request on your group’s behalf, please contact my office at (202) 224-5973.  Please understand that due to limited availability, I cannot guarantee that the White House will honor every request.

Please understand that the White House occasionally cancels tours for events being held at the residence. In the event that your tour is canceled, my tour coordinator will do everything possible to reschedule your tour, but sometimes the dates available will not coincide with your schedule and nothing can be done.

 
White House Visitors Center

1450 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest

The Visitors Center is located inside the Department of Commerce Building between 14th and 15th Streets.

The Visitor Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Days. The center features many aspects of the White House, including its architectural history, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders. You can also view a 30 minute video.

Additional White House Information

• Groups should enter the White House complex at the corner of 15th Street and Alexander Hamilton Place. Uniformed National Park Service Rangers are posted to assist groups as they arrive.

• Groups should arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled tour time. Late arrivals may not be accommodated.

• All guests 15 years of age or older will be required to present a government issued photo identification. All foreign nationals must present their passport. All other forms of foreign identification will not be accepted. Individuals whose identification does not exactly match the data submitted for entry or have an improper form of ID may be denied admittance.

• Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages, strollers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device, lighters, any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons/devices, or knives of any size. The U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items. 

• No storage facilities are available on or around the White House complex. Individuals who arrive with prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.

• Umbrellas, wallets, cell phones (including those with cameras) and car keys are permitted. 

• All items needed for medical purposes will be permitted on the tour (including wheelchairs, electric scooters, and walkers). All necessary medications must be identified and explained to U.S. Secret Service. Any medication for minors must remain in the custody of an adult chaperone or contact for the entire tour.

• All persons and items entering the White House will go through airport-like security. Individuals may be requested to consent to an interview or additional security procedures before they are admitted to the White House complex. 

• White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.