Ron Edmonds/AP
There’s great news for curious lookie-loos: Public tours of the White House have resumed.
Officials announced that the free tours will initially be available from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding federal holidays. Rules for visiting the presidential work-live manse remain the same. According to the White House:
Public tour requests are scheduled on a first come, first served basis and must be submitted through a Member of Congress and their Congressional Tour Coordinator. Constituents may reach your Member of Congress and Congressional Tour Coordinator through the U.S. House of Representative’s Switchboard at 202-225-3121, the U.S. Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or online at www.congress.gov/members.
Would-be visitors will also have to get the timing just right. Requests must be submitted 21 days to three months in advance of the desired visit.
The People’s House has been periodically closed to the public through part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, those who are lucky enough to book a slot can get an IRL look into several rooms in the East Wing of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, including the Blue Room, Red Room and Green Room; the State Dining Room; the China Room; and a view of the White House Rose Garden.
The Secret Service can also be a part of the experience. In addition to keeping an eye on the valuables, it’s available to answer questions about the history and architecture of each room.
Here’s a bit of what visitors can expect to see:
Blue Room
The White House/Getty Images
The Blue Room wasn’t a thing until 1837, when President Martin Van Buren — the eighth president of the U.S. — introduced the color blue into the decorating scheme.
Before that, there had been a bit of a kerfuffle over how the large oval room, which later became the inspiration for the design of the Oval Office, should be decorated.
Apparently, President James Monroe wanted to deck out the…
Read More: Public tours of the White House are set to resume Friday : NPR