baysidegirl

I have just looked at the White House web site and clicked on 'in person tours' and it says you must contact your local congressman to organise one. As I'm from Australia I don't have a local congressman but I would love to do a tour of the White House. Can anyone suggest what I could do?

janisj

You really can't unless you can get some sort of special "in" through the Australian Embassy.

General public tours have not returned to pre-9/11 procedures. Now they are pretty much limited to pre-arranged groups through a member of congress.

TrvlMaven

Where are you staying? You might contact the concierge at your hotel and see what can be arranged. Consider tour companies (Gray line?) for what can be offered, also. Have you tried the Australian Embassy? Maybe they can help, too.

janisj

Hotel concierge's and Grayline can't get the OP or anyone else into the White House. There is this thing called security . . . . . .

http://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisi...ouse-tours.htm

baysidegirl

Thanks for your replies. I understand the need for tight security since 9/11 but it's still really disappointing. I might make enquiries through the Aust. embassy but somehow I don't think it will be high on their priority list. I've searched every tour operator I can find through google and none mention tours.

JJ5

baysidegirl,

I contacted my congressman (IL) and this was more than 4 months ahead of the trip. And even with all his pull, and within lists of opportune times, I could not be fitted in.

It is not as easy as all that.

Believe me, see my D.C. thread on Fodors, the one with $22 in the title. Read the entire thing.

You will have more to see in Archives.

rm_mn

I realize that this won't help the OP, being that they are from a different country but for people from the US, if you contact your representative they may not be able to get you a tour ticket to (insert whatever you want to see here). However, you can contact the office of your senator at the same time and ask them, or even a representative from the adjoining district. We contacted 3 or 4 offices and one could get this ticket but not that, the next could get exactly what we wanted but for the day before we arrived, etc. It took several emails and phone calls to get it all arranged. Don't give up too early.

JJ5

I live in a state where the Senators could give a )&*(&(. Neither illustrous ones did one iota with long, long input times, too. The Reps were much better and got us a tour in the Legislature, but the White House was not possible.

I haven't heard anyone getting the White House tour through an IL senator in over 8 years. I ask all the time.

rm_mn

JJ5,
In that case you email a senator from a different state. I don't believe they checked our ID's to see if we really were from their state or district. Keep on 'em. It's our White House!

goddesstogo

Frustrating, isn't it, bayside girl? I'm from Canada. We've visited Washington a million times (we have friends there) and I never got around to doing the White House tour. When I finally decided I was definitely going to do it on my next trip, it was too late! Even with my friend's considerable pull, she couldn't manage to do it for me.

Good luck. And if you find a way to get in, I'd sure love to hear about it.

JJ5

It is frustrating, and I am an American citizen.

The trips to D.C. for me may only be two or three in my lifetime. I've gotten too many rejection letters and "diversion to other venues" letters, IMHO, for the time I put in trying to accomplish this.

And next time, when I do go, it is going to be with kids, and I will not know up to the 4 or 5 months plus in advance that you need for this either.

kelliebellie

My congressman was wonderful in getting me last minute White House tickets. They said they have a network with lots of other offices and sort of pool their tickets. They were super nice about the whole thing, so I voted for him in the next election. Felt I owed it to him.

Here is his website about DC tickets. It would be worth an e-mail and tell him that someone in his district recommended him.

http://www.house.gov/levin/levin_ser...sitingdc.shtml

JJ5

Why does it not superise me that it is Michigan. Hopefully, that will be my state too.

Thank you very much, kelliebellie.

Maybe it is just a density problem, but I know people who haven't even gotten answers to their requests in IL this year.

Cassandra

Again no help to an Aussie, sorry to say -- think your embassy/consulate is probably the best resource, but:

A broad generalization, but the Representative for your local district is more likely to try to help constituents than either of your Senators.

House members have to run every 2 years and are always aware of this, and they have a much smaller constituency. Senators, who do probably have more clout re: things like White House tours, etc., represent the entire state and only run every 6 years.

kelliebellie

Michigan property is going pretty cheap these days JJ. Now if we just had jobs to offer...

JJ5

kelliebellie, I bought a house in MI in 2002. On a lake, and it is tiny, but I'm going to retire there.

I'm still years away- at least 2 to 3.

My daughter & SIL and kids are going too, but not soon either.

Jobs are not impossible to get, but the pay is much lower, and all distances will be greater for me.

It still will be worth it.

nytraveler

You won;t find public group tours. The security issues are serious and only people that are vouched for (for instance via a Congressperson) or official groups are allowed inside. You also need official picture ID.

You really need to contact your embassy - they must have a tourist office or something that can make the arrangements for you. (I know some countries do this since my neighbor mentioned hearing people speaking both French and German when they went last summer.)

baysidegirl

Thanks nytraveller I might at least try an email or phone call. They can only say no.

speckles

I recently read on a different board about a UK resident who wanted to visit the White House. Their embassy in DC was willing to try, but only if they had 10 UK citizens wanting to visit on the same day. I'm not sure if this minimum number is imposed by the White House or the UK Embassy.

I'm an Aussie too and would love to visit if it were possible, but think it will be extremely unlikely. I had a hard enough time just trying to get hold of an email address for the Australian Embassy in DC. The information below is as far as I have got:

You can contact the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC by the following
means:
Tel: (202) 797-3000
Fax: (202) 797-3168
e-mail: [email protected]

Baysidegirl, you wouldn't happen to be visiting DC in mid August would you?

nytraveler

For any American citizen unable to get tickets, go to or contact the LOCAL office of your representative. They have someone just to deal with this kind of request and it should be taken care of immediately.