WASHINGTON — Jill Biden, with her extensive background in education, has focused her attention on the public tour of the White House. On Monday, she will introduce an enhanced version of the tour that she has played a significant role in designing, aimed at providing visitors with deeper insights into the mansion’s rich history and the noteworthy events that have occurred in its iconic rooms.
One of the tour’s key additions is the inclusion of the Diplomatic Reception Room, which had previously been inaccessible to visitors. This ground-level space is historically significant as it is where President Franklin D. Roosevelt broadcast his famed “fireside chats.” Now, snippets of these important conversations will be available for guests to hear during their visit.
The tour also opens doors to several other ground-floor areas that had previously been restricted. Guests will now have the opportunity to explore the library, the China Room—home to an impressive array of presidential place settings—and the Vermeil Room, which showcases a collection of exquisite tableware.
Similarly, visitors will gain access to the iconic East Room and the grand State Dining Room, located just one floor above.
In a move to enhance the visitor experience, new digital displays will replace traditional printed signs outside room entrances. These interactive features cater to a variety of learning styles, appealing to visitors’ visual, auditory, and tactile senses.
“Education is my life’s work, and I recognize that there are three types of learners: visual, auditory, and tactile,” Jill Biden remarked on Sunday evening while dining with President Joe Biden to celebrate the revamped tour. After personally experiencing the tour route, she felt compelled to expand its scope and add more educational and historical elements, noting that it had been decades since the tour had undergone any updates.
“The White House tour now allows guests to engage with their history in a more interactive and intimate way,” she added on Sunday.
Each week, approximately 10,000 individuals visit the White House. Upon entering through the East Wing, they will be greeted by a video welcome from Jill Biden, while President Biden will share historical insights from another video display in the East Room. The next president and their partner, set to take office in January, will also be able to create their own introductions, ensuring that these enhancements continue through subsequent administrations.
Additionally, the previously static collage of printed photographs adorning the hallways will now be digital, allowing for easier updates. A new vertical 3D model of the expansive 18-acre White House campus has been introduced, providing a visual recounting of the mansion’s construction and development over the last two centuries.
The first lady’s office has collaborated tirelessly on this project for two years, working alongside the National Park Service, the White House Curator’s office, the nonprofit White House Historical Association, various presidential libraries, and the History Channel.
