White House Visitors Office
The White House Visitors Office is responsible for public tours of the
The White House Visitor Center, which is managed and operated by the
The visitors office is located in the East Wing of the White House and employed seven people at the start of the 2000s.[1] Its role has been unique in that, up to 2001, the White House was the only home of a head of state that was regularly open to the public at no cost.[1] The director of the White House Visitors Office has been termed in media accounts as "the most powerful person in Washington that you've never heard of."[2]
Early history
Historically, the
The White House was closed during U.S. participation in
Tours were restarted in April 1952.
Tours were suspended following the November 22, 1963,
Tickets and methods
In 1976 during the United States Bicentennial, long waits in line and a whole morning spent were commonplace due to large numbers in Washington, and a color-coded ticket distribution system was put in place.[7] The system was put in place for good beginning in May 1977.[7]
White House tours were often in high demand. By 1981,[8] a director of the White House Visitor Center was in charge of the operation. During the early 1980s, as many as 6,000 visitors were accommodated each day, with just as many turned away.[8] Special pleas for tours coming from Washington officials had to be dealt with frequently.[8] 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.[9] During the early 1980s recession, White House tours remained fully booked even when other Washington attractions saw declining attendance;[10] the Visitor Center continued to process well over one million visits a year.[10] White House Visitors Office personnel are constantly caught between trying to satisfy demands and expectations for tours and events, and preserving the dignity of the presidential office and setting.[1]
The White House Visitor Office is also in charge of assorted White House special events, such as the annual
The Egg Roll in particular is an important function of the office; as one former director of the office stated, "It's the single most high-profile event that takes place at the White House each year, and the White House and the first lady are judged on how well they put it on."[12] Carol McCain, director of the White House Visitors Office from 1981 to 1987, added participatory activities and doubled the size of the crowds attending the Easter Egg Roll.[13] Later, director Ellie Schafer and First Lady Michelle Obama changed the Egg Roll procedure to have a lottery system for gaining access and to allow more people to participate.[2] The lack of a director of the office in time for the April 2017 Egg Roll was seen as symptomatic of the disorganization of the incoming Donald Trump Administration of that time.[12]
In April 1995 the current White House Visitor Center facility was opened in the
Early in the
On July 22, 2012, the main White House Visitor Center facility closed for an extensive renovation process with the goal of including new exhibit galleries, interactive exhibits and improved visitor services. On July 28, a temporary visitor center opened near the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion at the intersection of 15th and E Street and it remained open until the main visitor center reopened on September 13, 2014.[17][18]
In the wake of September 11
Tours were suspended in the wake of the
Presently, a tour of the White House must be arranged through a member of
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.
Tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted).[20] Tour hours will be extended when possible based on the official White House schedule. 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.[21] Concerns include that those who apply to be visitors must provide their personal information to congressional offices, who request this information via e-mail, and in turn, send the information via e-mail to the White House. The e-mail format that is used in this process is susceptible to interception.
Directors of the White House Visitors Office
Name | Term | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Michael J. Farrell | 1974–1977 | [22] |
Nancy Willing | 1977–1979 | [23][24] |
Carol McCain | 1981–1987 | [8][13][25] |
Debra Romash | 1989–1992 | [26] |
Melinda N. Bates | 1993–2001 | [12] |
Clare Pritchett | 2001–2004 | [16][27] |
Sara Armstrong | 2004–2007 | [28] |
Amy Allman | 2007–2009 | [29][30] |
Ellie Schafer | 2009–2016 | [31][12] |
Daniel Fisher | 2017–2019 | [32] |
Dana Hurtik | 2019–2021 | [33] |
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 0-8157-6951-2. p. 400
- ^ a b c McCormick, Kelley. "The Most Powerful Person in Washington That You've Never Heard Of". Capitol File. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Furman, Bess (1952-05-11). "What a Tour of the New White House Includes". The New York Times.
- ^ Copeland, George H (1948-02-08). "Doing the Capitol: Visitors Flock to Washington to Watch Congress in Action and See the Sights". The New York Times.
- ^ "White House Tours to Resume April 22: Public Inspection of Lower Mansion to Be Allowed After More Than Three Years". The New York Times. 1952-04-09.
- ^ "White House Tours to Reopen". The New York Times. United Press International. 1963-11-28.
- ^ a b "White House Tours to Require a Ticket". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1977-05-29.
- ^ a b c d e Gamarekian, Barbara (1981-08-30). "White House Tour Leader Courted and Criticized". The New York Times.
- ^ Weisman, Steven R (1981-06-20). "Truce, Of Sorts, On White House Tours". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "White House Remains Ever Popular". The New York Times. 1982-09-02.
- ^ Naedele, Walter F (1986-11-18). "O'Neill is Weighing an Invitation For Post as Bicentennial Spokesman". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Julie Hirschfeld (April 11, 2017). "The Latest Test for the White House? Pulling Off Its Easter Egg Roll". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Radcliffe, Donnie (1986-12-30). "Christmas Card Presidents". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b c Molotsky, Irvin (1995-04-02). "A Visitors' Center For White House Tours". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "White House Access, for Just $5". The New York Times. 1997-08-03.
- ^ a b c Sciolino, Elaine (2001-05-13). "Rules on Visitors Recast By Bush's White House". The New York Times.
- ^ "White House Visitor Center Renovation". July 18, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ^ "White House Visitor Center Reopens Saturday, September 13, 2014". Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- ^ Eilperin, Julie (November 5, 2013). "As White House tours resume, the Obamas surprise visitors with a personal welcome". The Washington Post.
- ^ whitehouse.gov
- ^ "White House Tours Could Lead To Identity Theft". WBAL-TV. 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
- ^ "Michael J. Farrell Files". www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- UPI. March 17, 1977. p. 31.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Naedele, Walter F (February 19, 1987). "Bicentennial Group Adds, Loses Staff". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ "Alumni Who Have Served in the Office of President or Vice President · News · Lafayette College". news.lafayette.edu. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ "2004 White House Office Staff List - Alphabetical". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- National Archives.
- National Archives.
- ^ "Revolving Door: Amy Allman Dean Employment Summary - OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
- ^ Gordon, Rachel (2009-01-28). "San Franciscan in the White House". sfgate.com. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ^ www.whitehouse.gov
- ^ www.whitehouse.gov