We will be travelling to D.C. in February. Our Congressman got us passes for the self guided White House tour. I took this tour decades ago. Con anyone give us pointers and tips on what to expect.? Thanks.

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

You walk through the public rooms, though the rooms can change depending on whether or not big events are scheduled. It's a nice tour and likely hasn't changed a bit since you took it decades ago, but they have become incredibly restrictive about what you can carry, and there's no convenient way to store your belongings, so it means going back to the hotel to pick up stuff after.

There are well informed security guards who can answer any questions about what you are seeing. We loved the tour. If you are on a guided tour,, a member of your Congressman's staff had to accompany you. At least when we went that was how it worked.

When I went decades ago, the regular tour was much, much longer and included many more rooms than the current self-guided tour. So to my mind, it has changed a great deal.

And of course, the business of not being allowed to carry a bag of any kind, not even a purse, is a logistical pain, but it is what it is. It's still great to enter the White House, and as others have said, the guards on duty are very knowledgeable and chatting them up will add a lot to your experience.

I have no tips, really You go, you stand in a short line, you get screened, you do the tour, and in an hour or so you're done.

Best way is to jump the fence and run to the front door, it's unlocked.
You can probably make it to the Blue Room before your tour guide arrives.

I agree with NewbE. The White House Tour is significantly different than it was decades ago. I was given an 8am time and needed to arrive no later than 7:30am. It took about 30 minutes to get through security. We were allowed to go through the foyer and view 2 rooms off of the foyer from the doorway and then walk through the State room which lead to the front door out. It took less than 30 minutes.

The last time I had taken a tour was in the early 70's. We were allowed to go through the blue room, the china room, the rose room in addition to those that are available now.

Personally, I did not think it was worth the time. At first I was not too happy about the 8am time(I am not a morning person) but in the end it worked out good. I was able to take the tour, grab a muffin for breakfast and get back to my hotel to collect the things I would need for the day before other places opened.

gardendiva, we did the same thing exactly, and I'm not a morning person, either! But indeed, the advantage was collecting our stuff and getting on with the day afterward.

I took the tour in 1978 when the White House was decorated for Christmas. It was lovely.

I'd like to go back. The china room was my favorite. (First floor)

There's a virtual tour available at the link above.

Thanks everyone. I would like to go on record as stating that we will NOT be taking logandog's advice. We went through enough trouble getting our security clearance. I don't want them to change their minds.

If you get a later time for the tour, there are lockers at some Smithsonians that may be more convenient.

This may be nit picky but they are Secret a Service Agents, not security guards. And they are very informative in the rooms.

We just put in a request with our congressman to do the tour. Does anyone remember how long it took to hear if you would receive tickets?

It was within 2 weeks of my trip and I had done the request 6 months in advance.

Thank you, t.

My request was granted within 10 days of the request, about two months before our visit. I really doubt there's a pattern to the timing--must depend on the office and the time of year.

Newb, yes, that makes sense since everyone applies through a different office - thanks.