The People’s House is a new museum created by the White House Historical Association as a way for more people to experience the history and grandeur of the Executive Mansion. As tickets to tour the actual White House are scarce, this is a wonderful way for your family to see what it’s like to live in “the people’s house.”
History
The White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to preserve and protect the historical items in the White House and to provide a way for the American people to connect to the White House through its educational programs. It also sells historical replicas and items through its shop such as books and an annual ornament honoring each president (my favorite!). In September of 2024, the White House Historical Association opened The People’s House, an interactive museum that tells the story of the Executive Mansion, its inhabitants, and the people who work there.
Visit
Located just across 17th Street from the White House, The People’s House is a must-see museum while in Washington. Timed-entry tickets are free (a donation is requested), but I highly encourage you to get them in advance as walk-up tickets are dependent on availability. I can imagine the tickets going fast during the high tourist season! Note that only small strollers are allowed and infant carriers/backpacks are encouraged.
You’ll enter the museum and go through security before coming to the first exhibit – a replica of the White House South facade! What a great photo spot!
This is where the five minute introductory video plays in the White House “windows” so be sure you catch it!
Then enter the museum by the “Rose Garden” windows – just beautiful!
On the right is a highly interactive display about the various rooms at the White House. Several videos will play every 8-10 minutes about White House entertainment, staff, and during war time.
An introduction to the various rooms is also given and then you have the chance to explore them virtually through a touch screen. Using these computers, you can bring the rooms to life and learn more about each room’s historical use.
Don’t miss the chance to inspect the rooms up close and personal. I just loved all of the small details such as the miniature portraits of the First Ladies!
Kids will love this activity so be prepared to spend 20-30 minutes as they make different choices and view each room.
This spot also has a replica of the White House grand hall where it looks like you’ve actually stepped into the real mansion! Don’t miss getting a photo here!
Turn the corner to walk down the West Colonnade which has been made famous in so many of the pictures we’ve seen of presidents and their advisors.
Enter the immersive theater and be prepared to be wowed! This empty room is turned into different state rooms of the White House every few minutes, and it’s a transformation that you have to see to believe! I was awed by this use of technology to recreate some of the most important pieces of artwork and furnishings. Even the floor changes from room to room!
Kids will be amazed at the walls unfurling into different colors and at the interactive guides where they can choose which photos or furniture to learn more about.
I encourage staying through several if not all of the room changes (it includes the East, Green, Blue, Red, and Dining rooms). I stayed to see all of the different rooms and loved exploring each one!
Are you ready to enter the Oval Office? This exact replica Oval Office will always reflect the current president’s office, so each piece of art, sculpture, and even wallpaper are exact replicas of what is being used in President Biden’s current office. It was interesting to hear about his choices of which portraits to highlight (such as the huge FDR painting) and which busts he wants to watch over him (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy). So fascinating and I can’t wait to come back for each subsequent president.
Kids (and adults!) will love sitting in the seat of power behind the Resolute desk!
Head upstairs and into the People’s Voices exhibit. This interactive gallery allows you to choose from White House staff such chefs, security officers, and cleaners, to learn more about their work to make the White House run efficiently. We often just think of the ever-changing political staff but these men and women are the ones who stay from administration to administration, tirelessly working to ensure the state dinners, Christmas decorations, and landscaping and gardening are done.
There are even “books” about different aspects of White House life that are interactive.
My favorite section was the Presidents and First Lady screens. Here you can scroll through all presidents and their First Ladies/White House hostesses to learn more about them.
At the back of the room is a fun photo experience where you can have your picture inserted in several rooms throughout the White House. Kids will get a kick out of this!
The next exhibit is one of my favorites – White House in Action. You sit down at a cabinet table with three different presidents and their cabinet officials. The cabinet officials will describe a real problem from history and you get to decide how you’d advise the president. From FDR’s response to the Great Depression to Lincoln’s next move on Fort Sumter to President Kennedy’s weighty decision on how to respond to the Cuban Missile Crisis, you get put into the action! It’s so neat!
The next exhibit will thrill those who have always wanted to attend one of the fancy state dinners. Sit in a chair at a table full of gilded plates and glassware to hear about the entertainment, food, and protocol at state dinners. It’s magical!
Kids will love the replica White House theater where you are welcomed to answer trivia questions. It is so fun!
The last exhibit is called Stories in Objects and each replica object here is interactive with an audio component. You can touch the french horn to hear about the presidential anthem or the moving box to learn about how the First Family’s things are moved out and in on Inauguration Day.
The exit is downstairs and will take you through the amazing gift shop. I loved seeing all of the White House ornaments from over the years and the wall of books about the White House.
The People’s House is a must-visit museum in Washington, DC for kids and adults. I am so glad the White House Historical Association made the Executive Mansion more accessible for the vast majority of tourists who can’t get tickets to see the actual White House. This museum is the next-best thing, and with its immersive exhibits, it’s even more educational!
Helpful hints:
- Cost: Free (donation is requested)
- Recommended: all ages
- Tour time: 1-2 hours (I spent 3 hours here!)
- Gift shop located onsite and online
- Transportation: Located at the intersection of 17th and Pennsylvania, the museum is walking distance from most of the National Mall/Smithsonians and the White House. The closest Metro stop is Farragut West. There are two parking garages on Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1700 block that have public parking.
- Dining options: Kids will love the next door GCDC location (gourmet grilled cheeses!). Just across the White House block is one of my favorite DC institutions, Old Ebbitt Grill. It’s also near a family favorite, The Hamilton.
- Nearby hotels: Check out my Washington, DC guide for hotel recommendations.
- Nearby attractions include: The White House and Visitor Center, Renwick Gallery, St. John’s Church (Church of the Presidents), The Octagon Museum, DAR Library and Museum, and the National Mall Monuments and Memorials
Books to Read:
All links are Amazon affiliate links. You can visit my Bookshop.org shop to support independent bookstores and creators. Be sure to check out my list of recommended books about Presidents and First Ladies. You can also shop directly from the White House Historical Association’s online shop.
Adult/Young Adult
- The White House: An Historic Guide
- Life in the White House
- The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House
- Inside the White House: Stories From the World’s Most Famous Residence
- The Hidden History of the White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments
Middle Grade
- Where Is the White House?
- 1,000 Facts About the White House
- Exploring the White House: Inside America’s Most Famous Home
- Dolley Madison and the War of 1812: America’s First Lady
- White House Clubhouse
- White House Clubhouse: White House on Fire!
- Abe Lincoln at Last! (Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #19)
- Capital Mysteries #4: A Spy in the White House
Picture Books
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