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-   -   Parking at the White House (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/parking-at-the-white-house-880342/)

Cris87 Mar 3rd, 2011 12:45 PM

Parking at the White House
 
Bringing a handicapped adult to tour the White House. Any suggestions on how to get here there without much hassle? Is there parking or a drop off location near by?

vjpblovesitaly Mar 3rd, 2011 12:48 PM

Will you definitely be driving?

www.bestparking.com can help you with a nearby parking garage.

You can't drive in front of the White House but you could drop the person off within a couple of blocks. Which direction will you be coming from?

nytraveler Mar 3rd, 2011 01:14 PM

You need to check on admittance if you're talking about someone using a wheelchair. Typically you are not allowed to take anything into the White House with you - not even a small purse. You need to see if they allow wheelchairs - or if they provide ones of their own. Also this will tell you if there is any way (taxis or special permit or something) to get a vehicle near the White House. (There is no car access to or parking nearby for the public.)

I assume you know you must have advance tickets usually obtained from your Rep or Sen - and they would have given you information on this when they provided the tickets. If you can't get info on White House tour web site of via phone I would go back to your rep or sen.

Cris87 Mar 3rd, 2011 01:28 PM

We'll be coming from Alexandria, and could use the Metro, but wondered if a parking garage might get us closer than a Metro station?

vjpblovesitaly Mar 4th, 2011 05:03 AM

If you look at the website which I posted you will be able to see the nearest parking garages as well as the nearest Metro stations (blue M).

The Metro station at 17th & I is Farrugut West which is on the Blue line, the line you would mostly likely take from Alexandria.

Dukey1 Mar 4th, 2011 05:56 AM

There's a parking garage on E St (east of 13th) about two blocks away; there's also a garage ON 13th across from the Warner.

DancingBearMD Mar 9th, 2011 02:04 PM

Based on this I would say that although they can loan you a wheelchair it looks like you can be admitted with your own chair:

"Mobility-Impaired / Wheelchairs
Visitors scheduled for tours who require the loan of a wheelchair should notify the officer at the Visitors Entrance upon arrival. Unfortunately, reservations are not possible. Visitors in wheelchairs, or with other mobility disabilities, use the same Visitors Entrance and are escorted by ramp from the entrance level to the Ground floor, and by elevator from the Ground floor to the State floor."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events

Note the official website suggests the Federal Triangle, Metro Center or McPherson Square Metro Stations, not Farragut West, perhaps because the visitor's entrance is on the east side of the White House grounds (southeast of the east wing).


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