Last summer we had the opportunity to visit The White House and it was one of the coolest things we did this summer. As history buffs, it was one of our bucket list items and we had tried so many times before to get tickets, that it felt like one of those things that wouldn’t happen for a while. Then randomly, after trying again, we received an email saying that we had been approved and in some ways, it felt like we won the lottery.
While we have shared a more detailed post on our Substack focusing on the photographs we took and also our thoughts about visiting, we wanted to write this post to provide tips that will hopefully help those of you who are also hoping to visit, score tickets.
BOOK IN ADVANCE:
When trying to reserve tickets, they encourage you to try to book your tickets in advance and it’s good advice considering how popular of a spot The White House is for both visitors that live in the States and visitors coming from other countries. This is definitely not a place that you will be able to just walk up and visit and understandably so. Background checks aside, you won’t even be allowed to enter the grounds where the entrance to the White House is without showing proof of having tickets. If you’re planning to visit D.C, definitely plan this part ahead.
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO D.C AROUND IT:
This part may be difficult, depending on the reason for your visit to Washington, D.C, but if you can help it, I’d highly recommend that you try scoring the tickets first and then plan your trip around the visit as opposed to planning your trip first and then trying. As we’ve learned from the times we’ve tried prior to being able to get tickets, contacting your state representative is not always a guarantee because you never know how many other tickets they’ve approved prior to you as it is first-come first-served typically. If visiting The White House is a big reason as to why you’re hoping to visit DC, it may make more sense to try to get confirmation of having those tickets first and then plan your lodging and other activities after it.
CHOOSE DAYS THAT AREN’T POPULAR DAYS IF YOU CAN HELP IT:
While it may be tempting to go during Memorial Day weekend because you have a three-day weekend, trying to get tickets that day will be pretty much impossible. They allow you to choose up to three dates that you would be willing to visit on and I always recommend choosing dates that aren’t around holidays or three-day weekends if you can help it. Our first time getting denied, we chose dates in February around President’s Day, which of course led us to getting denied because there were no more tickets. Then we tried in May around Memorial Day weekend and had the same result. We picked random days in July and ended up getting picked for a random Saturday that month.
Prepare to Get Checked:
Once we figured out where the entrance was, we got checked about three times before being allowed to start the tour. I honestly understand why and it wasn’t bothersome, but to keep the lines moving and make the check-in process smooth, I’d recommend really making sure that you follow everything they tell you in the email about what to leave at home and what to bring. For example, as much as I wanted to bring my DSLR camera, it was not allowed, so I left it at home. Purses were also a no-no, so that didn’t come with us. They are checking for those things and leaving the things at home they tell you to leave at home are likely for a reason.
WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES:
I know this likely goes without saying, but there are areas with stairs and there’s a lot of standing you will be doing prior to being able to enter the White House grounds, so it is a good idea to make sure you wear sneakers or shoes with good soles on them.
TAKE YOUR TIME:
While you do get to see quite a few of the rooms, you don’t get to see the entire White House and of course, there are some areas where depending on when you go, that are closed off to the public completely. It can be tempting to kind of rush through the exhibits you can see, especially when you’re trying to move with the crowd, but I’d recommend taking your time and taking everything in. For example, I remember one of the most popular parts of the tour was The Obama portraits and it’s amazing thinking how their pictures are on the wall as the former First Lady and President. A black president having his portrait in The White House given the history of the United States is a big deal. As a result, we took our time through particular exhibits such as that one to soak everything in.
To view some of the photographs we snapped while inside of The White House, be sure to check out our Substack to view the full post below!
