White House Visitor Center

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The White House Visitor Center is responsible for public tours of the White House and for maintaining a facility where the public can obtain information about the White House. The center is managed by the White House Historical Association.

The Visitor Center is located in the north end of the Herbert C. Hoover Building (the Department of Commerce headquarters) between 14th Street and 15th Street on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in the Federal Triangle. It serves as a starting point for those going on a reserved tour of the White House, and as an visitor experience for those who did not schedule a tour. The themes of the six permanent exhibits are "First Families," "Symbols and Images," "White House Architecture," "White House Interiors," "Working White House," and "Ceremonies and Celebrations." Other exhibits change throughout the year.

[edit] History

Historically, the White House has offered tours to the general public.

White House tours were often in high demand. During the early 1980s, as many as 6,000 visitors were accommodated each day, with just as many turned away.[1] Special pleas for tours coming from Washington officials had to be dealt with frequently.[1] In 1981, there was a dispute between First Lady Nancy Reagan and New York U.S. Representative Thomas Downey over his free tickets privileges having been suspended.[2] During the early 1980s recession, White House tours remained fully booked even when other Washington attractions saw declining attendance;[3] the Visitor Center continued to process well over one million visits a year.[3]

Tours were suspended in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks due to terrorism concerns. In September 2003 they were resumed on a limited basis for groups making prior arrangements through their congressional representatives and submitting to background checks.

Presently, a tour of the White House must be arranged through a member of Congress, and must be for a group of ten or more people. Arrangements must be made at least one month in advance, but the current recommendation is at least three months. Reservations may be made a maximum of six months ahead of time.

Anyone aged 14 or older who is offered a tour must undergo a background check. This requires providing personal information, including name, date of birth, Social Security number, and country of citizenship.

The tours take place between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m Tuesday through Saturday. They are self-guided and free of charge. Tours are subject to last-minute cancellation.

The process used to screen potential visitors for tours has come under fire due to concerns of identity theft that can affect potential visitors.[4] Concerns include that those who apply to be visitors must provide their personal information to congressional offices, who request this information via email, and in turn, send the information via email to the White House. The email format that is used in this process is susceptible to interception.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Gamarekian, Barbara. "White House Tour Leader Courted and Criticized", The New York Times, 1981-08-30. 
  2. ^ Weisman, Steven R. "Truce, Of Sorts, On White House Tours", The New York Times, 1981-06-20. 
  3. ^ a b "White House Remains Ever Popular", The New York Times, 1982-09-02. 
  4. ^ White House Tours Could Lead To Identity Theft. wbaltv.com (2007-11-15). Retrieved on 2007-11-15.