The White House public tour is undergoing a major makeover, including new digital exhibits, expanded routes and expanded access to rooms that will be part of a “reimagined” experience for visitors.
The revamped tour announced Monday is a two-year effort, according to First Lady Jill Biden's office.
“When Joe became president, I inspected public tours and was told that there had been no significant improvements in decades, and that we should reimagine this tour experience and add more educational content and stories. “We thought there needed to be a way to add to our history by preserving and protecting it,” Biden said in a statement.
“So that’s what we did,” she said.
The Diplomatic Reception Room, traditionally used to host foreign dignitaries, will be opened to the public for the first time as part of a White House tour. Visitors will not only be able to peek into areas that were previously cordoned off, but they will also be able to step into deeper rooms.
Another part of the modernized transformation includes new interactive signage that includes welcome videos from both President Biden and Jill Biden.
A “permanent digital display known as the Living Timeline” will also replace the still photographs and images of the East Colonnade.
According to the White House, “Graphics and media exhibits in each archway will showcase different 'eras' of American history, divided to capture historic moments in the White House and the Presidency.”
The update also includes a new 3D lighting model of the White House complex and “key stages of evolution” showing the architectural history of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
“More than 10,000 visitors walk through these doors each week for public tours. It's a great opportunity for students of all ages to learn about our country's history, civics, and the lives of our presidents and their families,” Jill Biden said of the public tour. It's a great opportunity.” Review of tour.
Biden said he worked with the National Park Service, the White House Historical Society, the History Channel and the White House Office of the Curator to make the revamp happen.
“I've been a classroom teacher for 40 years, and I know that learning has to be interactive and engaging,” said Biden, a professor at Northern Virginia Community College.
“We have to awaken the senses, meet students where they are and give them what they need to spark their curiosity and imagination,” she added.
“We hope this tour will inspire everyone who visits the White House to learn more about our shared history.”
