• View of the White House's north side from Layfatte Park

    President's Park (White House)

    District of Columbia

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  • White House Tours canceled effective Saturday, March 9, 2013

    We regret to inform you that White House Tours are canceled effective Saturday, March 9, 2013, until further notice. For updates regarding this situation, please contact the White House Visitors Office 24 hour hotline at (202) 456-7041.

  • White House Visitor Center Rehabilitation and Closure Information

    The White House Visitor Center is closed for rehabilitation. A temporary visitor center is located near the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion, just west of the intersection of 15th and E streets, NW.

The President of the United States lives in a National Park

Every president except George Washington has called the White House and its surrounding grounds his place of work, rest, and solitude. Recognizable the world around, the White House stands as a symbol of democracy. The White House and its park grounds serve not only as the seat of the executive branch of government of the United States of America, but also as an iconic place for civil discourse.

Did You Know?

The Ellipse, 1930's, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

The Ellipse was home to one of the country's earliest baseball parks.  President Abraham Lincoln, missed one of his weekly Cabinet meetings to attend a game on September 18 1861 where the Brooklyn Excelsiors beat the Washington Nationals.  The score was 33-28.