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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Visit The White House

The President and Dr. Biden are delighted to welcome members of the public to tour the White House. Public tour requests are scheduled through your Member of Congress and their Congressional Tour Coordinator. Constituents may reach your Member of Congress and Congressional Tour Coordinator through the U.S. House of Representatives Switchboard at 202-225-3121, the U.S. Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or online at  www.congress.gov/members .

Consistent with prior practices, public White House tour requests must be submitted a minimum of 21 days in advance and no more than 90 days in advance of the requested tour date(s). Reservations cannot be accepted for tour dates outside this 21 – 90-day window.  

Public tours are typically available from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. If your tour is confirmed, please note that you will be assigned a specific time.  All White House tours are free of charge. The White House tour schedule is subject to change, with little notice, based on inclement weather or official use.

If you are a citizen of a foreign country, please contact your embassy in Washington, D.C. for assistance in submitting a tour request.

Identification Requirements

All U.S. citizens ages 18 and older, and foreign nationals of all ages (including children), must present a valid, government-issued photo ID upon arrival for their tour. Acceptable forms of identification are below.

U.S. CITIZENS

• United States Driver’s License
• Valid United States Passport
• United States Military ID

FOREIGN NATIONALS

• Valid Passport
• Alien Registration Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• U.S. State Department Issued Diplomatic ID Card

A U.S. driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification for foreign nationals. No foreign-issued state IDs, foreign-issued driver’s licenses, expired passports, photocopies, other transmissions of these documents, or other forms of identification will be accepted. Individuals without acceptable identification, or whose identification does not exactly match the information previously registered, may be denied entry.

Prohibited Items

• Bags of any kind (including fanny packs and clutches)
• Cameras with detachable lenses
• Electric stun guns
• E-cigarettes
• Knives of any kind
• Martial arts
• Tobacco Products
• Toy Weapons
• Video cameras
• Weapons/devices
• Any pointed object
• Any other item determined to be a potential safety hazard

Please note that storage facilities are not provided during your visit. Individuals who arrive with bags or prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.

Permitted Items

• Baby carriers worn on the body
• Breast pumps
• Cell phones
• Compact cameras with lenses less than 3 inches
• Umbrellas without metal tips
• All items needed for medical purposes (i.e. wheelchairs, EpiPens, medication, etc.)

Getting Here

Use of public transportation is strongly encouraged, as there is no parking available on the White House complex and street parking is limited. The closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, silver, and red lines), and McPherson Square (blue, orange, and silver lines).

The White House Tour entrance is located in Sherman Park at 15th Street NW and Alexander Hamilton Place NW. If arriving by rideshare, use the White House Visitor Center (WHVC) as the drop-off address. The WHVC is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20230, which is one block from the White House.

Restrooms are located at the White House Visitors Center, located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20230. There are no restrooms available once you arrive for your tour.

Accessibility

The White House tour route is wheelchair accessible. Visitors who wish to use a White House wheelchair should notify a U.S. Secret Service officer upon arrival.

Guide animals are permitted in the White House.

Health and Safety Guidance

Guests who receive a confirmed tour reservation will be issued a White House Tour Pass ahead of their tour date containing pertinent health and safety guidance.

Know Before You Go

• Tours are self-guided and last approximately 45 minutes
• Eat a snack and stay hydrated prior to arrival.
• Dress for the weather, knowing you will be outside before your tour.
• Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time.
• No late arrivals are accepted.
• All guests must be previously registered via the RSVP link provided by the White House.
• Please silence your cell phone and refrain from phone calls during the tour.
• No flash photography or video recording is permitted during your tour.
• Visitors may call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 for latest updates and information relevant to White House tours.

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White House tours are back: Here's what you need to know

I remember visiting the White House for the first time during former President George H.W. Bush's time in office.

A friend with a friend who worked in the Washington, D.C., landmark at the time — if that isn't a quintessential D.C. thing to say, I don't know what is — was couch surfing at my place and wanted to "pay" me with a tour of the presidential mansion.

I happily accepted the offer and, not long after, found myself exploring the iconic building. In addition to checking out the usual rooms included in the tour, my friend scored us a peek inside the Oval Office, an experience I'll never forget.

Like many sites in D.C., the White House paused tours of its interior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But after 14 months, the Biden Administration announced that tours will resume on Friday and Saturday mornings starting April 15.

As was the case before the pandemic, you can't just show up and ask for tickets. Instead, you'll need to plan your visit weeks in advance.

Before you finalize your itinerary, here's everything you need to know about White House tours, plus suggestions for where to stay nearby.

Although the White House is managed by the National Park Service, you can't reach out to the agency to get tickets. Instead, you'll need to request them from your member of Congress (or your embassy, if you're not a U.S. resident). You can do this between three months and 21 days in advance.

Tours are limited to Friday and Saturday mornings (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted) from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, so you'll want to request your tickets as early as possible.

When you submit your request, be sure to include three potential dates for your tour, as well as the number of individuals in your party. Try to avoid the Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day and Christmas holidays, as tickets are a lot harder to come by during these busy times.

While you'll have a set tour time when you receive your tickets, know that unexpected events may occasionally cause your tour to be canceled at the last minute. If this happens, you'll need to submit a new request for a tour.

On the day of your tour, all members of your group who are 18 and older will need to present a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or military ID (or a passport, if they're from another country). Each person's name, date of birth, city and state given for the reserved tickets must exactly match the government-issued photo ID presented.

While face masks are not required during the tour, they will be available on site should you want to wear one. Items you're welcome to bring on the tour include:

• Compact cameras with lenses shorter than 3 inches long.
• Umbrellas without metal tips.
• Small personal items like wallets and cellphones.
• Items needed for medical purposes, such as wheelchairs (which you also can request at the Visitors Entrance), medications and mobility aids.

Keep in mind, though, that the White House's strict security protocols mean certain items are not permitted inside. These include:

• Video cameras, cameras with detachable lenses, tablets, iPads, tripods, monopods and cameras sticks.
• Bags of any kind (handbags, purses, book bags, backpacks, diaper bags and camera bags).
• Any pointed object, including pocket knives.
• Food, liquids, aerosols, tobacco products and personal grooming items (makeup, lotion, etc.).
• Guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons and devices, toy weapons and knives of any kind.

There is no storage available at the White House or the White House Visitor Center, so plan on keeping any prohibited items in your hotel safe or leaving them with a companion who isn't taking the tour.

What you'll see

After you've made your way through security, you'll embark on an hourlong tour that includes stops at several well-known spots in the building, including the family theater, the East Room (which you may recognize from press conferences and special events), the State Dining Room (a banquet hall and ceremonial chamber for official events) and the Blue Room (a reception room famous for its decorations during the holiday season).

Depending on what's going on during your visit (or who you know), you may also have the chance to see other spaces like the Oval Office and the South Lawn, where Marine One (the presidential helicopter) lands and departs.

To supplement your White House tour, check out the adjacent White House Visitor Center . Open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the center is home to roughly 100 historical artifacts and offers an interactive touchscreen tour of the White House.

There's also the nearby White House Historical Association retail store , which sells a great selection of souvenirs, including history books, jewelry, cherry blossom items and the official White House Christmas ornament.

Where to stay

Washington, D.C. is home to many chain, independent and boutique hotels, and luckily, some of the best ones happen to be within walking distance of the White House. Here are some of my personal favorites — and their current room rates for October 2022.

Related: Best hotel credit cards

The Hay-Adams

This historic hotel located between the White House and Lafayette Park regularly shows up on lists of the best hotels in D.C., and for good reason. If you play your cards right, you can snag a room with White House and Washington Monument views.

Speaking of views, the property's top-floor Top of the Hay has French doors that open onto a wraparound balcony with panoramic White House and city skyline vistas. It has a full-service rooftop kitchen, making it a terrific space for meetings and special occasions.

Since The Hay-Adams is a boutique hotel, it does not participate in any major brand's loyalty program. As a result, you'll need to pay cash for your stay. Standard superior rooms start at $439 a night.

Hotel Washington

For a while, this 105-year-old hotel was known as the W Washington DC, but it reverted back to its original name in August 2021.

The chic property is known for the Vue, an open-air space regularly touted as one of the city's best rooftop bars. You'll also find a mix of rooms and suites, including some with jaw-dropping city views.

Cash rates for a standard queen room at this independently operated hotel start at $337 per night, but if you're looking for a show-stopping view, consider upgrading to one of the Monument suites. You'll enjoy sweet views of the Washington Monument for a minimum of $580 a night.

JW Marriott Washington, DC

One of Marriott's flagship hotels just happens to sit right on Pennsylvania Avenue, less than two blocks away from the White House and next door to the National Theatre.

Like other hotels on this list, the JW Marriott Washington, DC boasts rooms with incredible views of downtown and the city's popular monuments. You'll also find a moody bar and an American-inspired restaurant on site, should you crave a cocktail or bite to eat after sightseeing.

While standard rooms do not come with a Washington Monument view, for a slight price increase, you can reserve a king bedroom that overlooks the monument starting at $359 a night. If you have a stash of Marriott Bonvoy points, you can apply 50,000 to 60,000 points per night to cover a stay here.

Willard InterContinental Washington DC

The history of this hotel, which opened in 1818, almost goes back to the start of the republic. As such, it was the place to see and be seen for centuries.

When I moved to D.C. in 1978, the iconic Willard had been closed for 10 years and was just a decaying building on Pennsylvania Avenue. That same year, a team was chosen to redevelop the hotel into the stunning property it is today.

Ever since reopening in 1986, the IHG-affiliated hotel has drawn visitors with its ornate lobby and classically-styled rooms.

To book a king room with a premium view, expect to spend at least $517 per night or apply a minimum of 53,000 to 94,000 IHG Rewards points per night.

Kimpton Banneker Hotel

Located on a tree-lined avenue with a view down 16th Street Northwest to the White House, this Kimpton outpost is slightly off the beaten path ... in a good way.

The property's Lady Bird rooftop bar features a bird's-eye view of D.C., including an unobstructed look at the White House, and a centerpiece U-shaped bar. Rooms and suites feature modern, eye-catching designs with colorful local art and bold accent walls.

Because this property participates in the IHG Rewards program, you can use either cash or points to pay for a room here. A standard room with two queen beds starts at $315 or 53,000 points per night.

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I got to tour the West Wing!

Getting a tour of the West Wing of the White House is perhaps the toughest ticket in Washington, DC, but if you do get one, it’s the Golden Ticket.  

Several guides at DC By Foot have toured the West Wing.

It is much easier to tour the White House on a public tour or take our Intro to DC tour to see it from outside with one of our guides.

They are scheduled from 7:30 in the morning until 9:30 at night, though you cannot tour the West Wing during business hours or when the President is working.

Unfortunately, we can’t help you arrange a tour of the West Wing, but we can tell you who can visit the West Wing, how to apply, and what you will see.

HOW TO GET A WEST WING TOUR

Your best chance of getting a tour is to be a friend or family of a White House employee. 

So, who do you have to know? It’s an exclusive club:

• Friends and family of authorized White House employees
• Celebrities and political activists
• Friends and prominent supporters of members of Congress

Celebrities and prominent political activists must apply directly to the White House Office of Political Affairs.  If you are a friend of a prominent member of Congress, that member may apply to the Office of Political Affairs on your behalf.

If you are fortunate enough to be booked on a West Wing tour, you will receive a link directly from the WH asking you to provide the following information: 

• Date of Birth
• Social Security Number (only U.S. residents 18 and older)
• Citizenship
• City and State of Residence

Once you provide that information, you will receive a strict set of rules for your visit. The most important one is bags: the size must not exceed 4x6 inches. Also, no phones are allowed, so you’ll have to lock it away upon entry. 

In the days before your tour, the Secret Service will conduct a rigorous background check, and when you arrive at the White House for your tour, there is additional security screening. Don’t forget your government-issued ID.

The check-in point is at 17 th and E St NW. Upon arrival, you will be given a temporary badge that you will wear for the duration of your tour. Yes. You have to return it following your visit. 

After passing through security, you will follow your guide (the White House employee) past the south façade of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where you will round a corner to the left. 

And there it will be: the entrance to the West Wing! It is an extensive tour, allowing you to see the inner workings of the West Wing and the surrounding exterior grounds, all under the watchful eye of Secret Service members, who will happily answer questions and tell you stories. Be sure to ask about the ghosts in the White House. There are lots of them! 

So, what exactly do you get to see? 

• Situation Room
• West Colonnade
• Rose Garden & South Lawn
• Cabinet Room
• Oval Office
• Roosevelt Room
• West Wing Lobby
• James P. Brady Press Briefing Room

As you are not allowed to bring your phone (or cameras) into the West Wing, the only place where photos are allowed is the Press Briefing Room.

As part of a West Wing tour, you will also visit the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where you will see the following: 

• Second Gentleman’s Office Suite (exterior only)
• The Vice President’s Ceremonial Office
• Secretary of War Suite
• The Cordell Hull Room
• The Diplomatic Reception Room
• The Indian Treaty Room
• The War Library
• The East and West Rotundas
• Truman Bowling Alley

So, if you are lucky enough to get this Golden Ticket, a tour of the West Wing will surely be a highlight of your time in Washington, DC.

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White House

Discover the Iconic White House – Main Residence of the President of the United States!

Explore the heart of American politics with a visit to the historic White House, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The White House Complex, including the East and West Wings, and the Executive Residence, serve as the official residence of the President of the United States.

Built in 1800, the White House has undergone numerous renovations and modifications throughout history. There’s been a reconstruction after the British army burned it down during the War of 1812. The building’s architecture was inspired by the Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland and the Château de Rastignac in Dordogne, France. The White House features three main floors with 11 bays surrounding the main portico.

The name “White House” was officially used after the “Burning of Washington” in 1812, when white paint was used to cover up the charred damage. The name was formalized by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901.

Take a tour of the West Wing and learn about the history and operations of this iconic building. Access more information through the official White House website .

If you want to visit the White House and other famous Washington DC landmarks, consider taking a guided tour by USA Guided Tours offering expert-led guided tours of DC sights like the White House (outside only), US Capitol (inside and outside), the National Archives (inside and outside), war memorials, and more!

Getting to experience the exterior of the White House and other iconic landmarks with a guide is a great way to experience the history and culture of the nation’s capital. Please check out our various DC tour options here to find the perfect fit for your trip!

US Navy Memorial

The US Navy Memorial honors those who have served or are currently serving in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Merchant Marine. It is located on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th Street NW and 9th Street NW, next to the Archives station of the Washington DC Metro and adjacent the National Archives building....

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Excellent tour! Elvis is a walking black history encyclopedia!

What an incredible tour! Just look at all the amazing sites that we got to visit! I loved doing the night tour because although it goes fast, you avoid the crowds and the heat.

As I sat in my nice air conditioned bus an and sipped my complimentary water I was glad I didn’t take the other tours in the middle of July during the muggiest part of summer. Worth the money!

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Our guide was outstanding. He was extremely knowledgeable and polite. And kudos to our bus driver for maneuvering effortlessly through NY traffic!

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What You'll Never See on the White House Tour

The White House — yep, the one located in Washington, D.C. — has been home to the presidents of the United States since John Adams came to office in 1797. But, how much do we know about the White House and what's inside?

While tours are available through parts of the East and West Wings, as well as the Residence's main building, they are difficult to come by and require a written request to your senators at least 21 days in advance.

You don't have to wait any longer to take a tour of the White House's inner workings and to learn its many secrets. Let us take you on an insider's virtual tour.

The Cornerstone

Designed by James Hoban, an Irish immigrant, the first stones of the White House were laid in 1792. Although commissioned by George Washington, it was John and Abigail Adams who first moved into the White House in 1800.

The house was still under construction when they arrived and didn't have a chance to be completed before it was burned down by the British during the War of 1812.

Once again, Hoban was called to lead the rebuilding of the White House under James Monroe. Construction began with the South Portico in 1824.

The North Portico was added in 1829, just in time for Andrew Jackson, who had become president, to call the place home.

The West Wing

The first major renovation of the White House began in 1902, while Theodore Roosevelt was president. Roosevelt decided to move his office from the Residence's second floor to the new Executive Office Building .

The building, known as the West Wing, was designed by McKim, Mead and White of New York. There have been numerous expansions of the West Wing over the years, but it has remained the president's office location for more than a century.

The Oval Office

The president's office, however, was not the Oval Office we know of today until the West Wing was expanded during William Howard Taft's leadership. It was Taft who added the Oval Office, located on the first floor of the West Wing.

Every president has the right to redecorate the office to their liking, with all but three presidents since Rutherford B. Hayes keeping the Resolute Desk . (Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford did not use it.)

The Resolute Desk

A gift from Queen Victoria in 1880, the Resolute Desk was made from the wood of the H.M.S. Resolute and given to Hayes. However, the desk did not make its way into the Oval Office until John F. Kennedy moved it here in 1961.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt added the presidential coat of arms on the panel that has a secret door, as was famously captured by Kennedy's children playing hide-and-seek. (Caroline and Kerry Kennedy are pictured here.)

Another Major Renovation

The current White House does not feature the original interior built in the 1800s. Harry S. Truman ordered a complete renovation in 1950, gutting everything but the exterior walls.

The two-year job was completed in 1952. Truman spent nearly three years living at the nearby Blair House, the presidential guest house.

Secret Tunnels

During the renovation, a tunnel connecting the West Wing to the East Wing was added as well as a bomb shelter. Before this tunnel, however, FDR added a tunnel between the East Wing and the Treasury Building to serve as an air-raid shelter.

Ronald Reagan added another tunnel during his presidency. If you go through a secret door in the Oval Office, stairs lead to a basement where a private elevator connects to the Residence.

A Web of More Tunnels?

There are rumors of more tunnels that connect the White House to the Capitol, CIA, FBI, Blair House, the Vice President's Residence, Camp David, the Pentagon and Andrews Air Force Base.

None of the tunnels have been confirmed.

Secret Entrances

There are also secret entrances into the White House, including this H Street alleyway . The ram-proof driveway is located beside a discreet Secret Service window. Once accessed, the alley passes the Federal Claims Courthouse to a door at the Treasury Department on Pennsylvania Avenue.

From there, visitors can move through the tunnel that connects to the East Wing.

Security Measures

It goes without saying that the White House is an extremely secure building . Its windows are bulletproof, and the grounds are covered with infrared lasers that even cover the sky overhead — able to detect a threat from a mile away!

The entire city is a no-fly zone with surface-to-air missiles found all around the capital, as well as Secret Service-flown drones that keep an eye on what's happening around the White House.

Of course, surrounding the White House is an 11-foot spiked fence, patrolled by armed guards in the event anyone tries to scale it. And, as many can see from the ground, armed guards are stationed atop the roof of the White House.

A Full House

One interesting fact about this building is that it wasn't always called the White House . Before Theodore Roosevelt gave it the official name in 1901, it was referred to as the Executive Mansion, the President's Palace and the President's House.

Today, the inside features 412 doors, 12 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases, six stories (in the Residence) and three elevators.

The Executive Residence Ground Floor

The Executive Residence, at six-stories, is 55,000 square feet .

Rooms on the Residence White House Tour include the ground floor and first floor, also known as the State Floor.

Vermeil Room

A formal sitting room used by the first ladies, the Vermeil Room was added to the White House in 1902.

Before it was this comfortable room known originally as the Social Room, it was used for storage and then a staff bedroom. It was transformed during Theodore Roosevelt's Administration, when staff bedrooms were moved from the ground floor to make way for rooms for public use.

The room received its new name, the Vermeil Room, in the 1960s, after Margaret Thompson Biddle donated 1,575 pieces of her vermeil to the White House. Her portrait hangs above the fireplace.

Woodrow Wilson's second wife, Edith, designated this room as the Presidential Collection Room  to store the ever-growing china collected over the years. Renamed the China Room, the room was redecorated to its red color in 1970.

Nearly every president's state or family china is represented chronologically.

The main kitchen of the White House is large enough to hold a team that can cook and serve those 140 guests for a formal dinner — with the capacity to hand-make 1,000 hors d'oeuvres! 

The kitchen also provides the presidential family with its meals and snacks, and the president has a button on his desk in the Oval Office to order food and beverages. All food brought into the kitchen is screened by the FBI.

There are two additional kitchens in the White House, one in the Residence for the presidential family's casual meals and the second, a pastry kitchen.

President Millard Fillmore added the first Presidential Library to the White House in the 1850s at the time he gained funds to rebuild the Library of Congress, which had been destroyed by a fire that burned 35,000 books.

Part of the Presidental Library's collection contributed by Fillmore includes Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle," along with collections by the Founding Fathers.

The current library, now located on the ground floor, was formerly a laundry room until Jacqueline Kennedy transformed it into the library it is today. She added more than 1,700 books to the collection.

Diplomat Room

The receiving room, or the Diplomatic Reception Room , was originally a furnace room. Renovated during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, it was where FDR delivered his famous fireside chats during the Great Depression.

The wallpaper featuring landscapes of America was added by Jackie Kennedy, along with the carpet that features the emblem of all 50 states.

Before Kennedy created the current Situation Room, this Map Room was used as such by FDR. It featured world maps hung all around the room, so the president could be briefed on situations taking place during World War II.

The room is used for meetings today and still holds maps from the National Geographic Society.

Although it is not filled with palm trees, this ground floor foyer connects the White House and the West Wing. It is often called the West Garden Room to match the similar visitor gathering spot known as the East Garden Room.

It received its Palm name for its conservatory look.

Flower Shop

In the Basement Hall, White House staff can pickup flowers from the Flower Shop, which manages and arranges flowers to fill the White House and decorate for holidays and special events.

Bowling Alley

The first bowling alley was added to the White House in 1947 as a gift to President Truman. He wasn't much of a bowler and got rid of the alley to make room for a printing press room.

However, Richard and Pat Nixon loved to bowl, so he added a one-lane alley in 1969. It was located underground, beneath the North Portico driveway.

Today, it doesn't get much use and needs a complete refurbishment.

The Executive Residence First Floor

The first floor of the Executive Residence is used for welcoming and hosting dignitaries and special events.

The floor is often referred to as the State Floor because of this.

The East Room

Also found in the Residence is the East Room , which is the largest State Room and is used for events, ceremonies and speeches. Before it became an event space, the room was the last to be decorated and designated as anything more than a large, open space. Abigail Adams actually used the East Room to dry her laundry.

Andrew Jackson had the room decorated for the first time in 1829, and ever since, the East Room has welcomed dignitaries as well as mourners for the wakes of both Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy.

There are some very colorful rooms in the Residence. Meant to be used as a dining room, the Green Room serves as a state parlor. It is located on the first floor. 

Beside the Green Room is the Blue Room . This is where the president receives his guests. The oval-shaped room has been blue since 1837, even following renovations.

The marble-topped table in the center of the room has been in this room since James Monroe purchased it in 1817.

The Red Room , also on the first floor, was originally used as the home of the presidential family, despite its size.

Once the families took residence in the upper floors, First Ladies began to use the room for events. Eleanor Roosevelt, for example, held the room's first press conference.

State Dining Room

Of course, the White House hosts larger dinners for dignitaries in another dining room, known as the State Dining Room . It was originally a smaller, first-floor office space that was also used for formal dinners by presidents since Andrew Jackson, but Theodore Roosevelt had the room enlarged during the 1902 renovations.

The fireplace mantel originally featured lions, but Roosevelt changed them to be the heads of American bison. The table can extend to accommodate 140 guests.

Family Dining Room

Leave it to Jackie Kennedy to also create the Residence's Family Dining Room . Originally the bedroom of William McKinley, the room has served as the private dining room for the presidential families since the 1960s.

This example is from George W. Bush's presidency.

The Executive Residence Second Floor

The upper floors of the Executive Residence are reserved as living quarters for the presidential family.

There are 16 rooms and six bathrooms on the second floor. International leaders are welcome to stay on this floor, where the president, first lady and their children reside.

But we can give you a closer look...

Yellow Oval Room

Located on the second floor, the Yellow Room is the third oval room found in the White House. This room is not available on tours, as it is in the private residence of the presidential family and is often used as a sitting room. 

It is actually the same room that was used as Fillmore's initial library before Jackie Kennedy moved it.

Treaty Room

The original Cabinet Room in 1890 was converted into the Monroe Room by President Herbert Hoover in 1940 after the West Wing became the home to Executive Offices.

Kennedy rechristened the room as the Treaty Room in 1962 and installed a table that once belonged to Ulysses S. Grant. The 1869 Pottier & Stymus table has been used to sign numerous treaties, including the one that ended the Spanish-American War.

Residence Kitchen

Although the First Family can order anything they'd like from the White House kitchen, the Executive Residence includes a private kitchen for the family to make snacks and quick meals.

Lincoln's Bedroom & Sitting Room

Another famous room in the White House (said to be haunted by the ghost of Abraham Lincoln) is the Lincoln Bedroom . Located on the second floor, this once served as Lincoln's office.

Harry S. Truman had the room converted into a bedroom for guests, decorated with furnishings from Mary Todd Lincoln, herself.

Queen's Bedroom & Sitting Room

Another guest bedroom is the Queen's Bedroom , where Winston Churchill stayed while meeting with FDR.

Located on the second floor, across the hall from the Lincoln Bedroom, a mirror presented to Truman by then-Princess Elizabeth in 1951 still hangs in the room.

Master Bedroom

The Master Bedroom is another one that gets an interior makeover every time a new presidential family moves in here. In 1962, the Kennedys had separate bedrooms, and this room was originally Jackie's space (pictured).

Then, Gerald and Betty Ford made it a shared master bedroom in 1974, and it has remained as such ever since.

Living Room

Just like any family, the presidential family needs a place to relax and sit together to watch TV at the end of the day.

The private family living room is located next to the master bedroom on the second floor.

The Executive Residence Third Floor

The third floor of the White House is used as a relaxation space. You'll find indoor and outdoor relaxing spaces here as well as offices and sleeping space for the personal staff of the First Family.

Located on the roof, above the South Portico, is the Residence's Solarium . It was originally created as a sleeping room for Taft, who liked fresh air at night.

Indoors is a private living space for the presidential family, while outdoors they can enjoy basking in the sun and even grilling , as Dwight D. Eisenhower was known to do.

Truman Balcony

Now famous as a place where the First Family may wave and preside over events taking place on the South Lawn, the South Portico didn't originally feature a balcony. Instead, awnings hung over the doorway below.

During Truman's renovation, the horseshoe-shaped balcony was added, which is why it is known as the Truman Balcony .

Recreation available to the First Family includes a game room, where a pool table has been a fixture since Reagan's era, as seen in this photo.

Billiards have been popular for many presidents, with tables found in different locations until this former bedroom space was converted into a permanent game room.

Also a former bedroom, the Music Room was added in the 1990s for the Clintons.

President Clinton was known to play the sax, and this room gave him a quiet place to play. (Plus, it is soundproof.)

Grand Staircase

The Grand Staircase is where the president descends from his quarters on the second floor to greet his guests awaiting in the Entrance Hall on the State Floor.

It, too, was completed during Truman's renovation — the fourth staircase to occupy the space — and meant to provide a "grand" entrance.

45-Second Commute

The West Colonnade walkway connects the Executive Residence to the West Wing and the Oval Office.

Passing by the Rose Garden, the walk is referred to as the president's 45-second commute.

The West Wing First Floor

The West Wing is considered the executive offices of the White House and is where day-to-day business functions take place.

Tours are available to some of the rooms, again, only by request through Congressional staff.

The Cabinet Room

Day-to-day meetings and discussions with the president take place in the Cabinet Room . The president sits in the middle of the table as members of the appointed cabinet of ministers meet.

Those sitting in this room include the Vice President, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the CIA, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, Office of Management and Budget, and a Trade Representative.

At Great Heights

In both the Cabinet Room and the Roosevelt Room, the smaller meeting room located outside of the Oval Office, the chair in which the president sits is higher than the other chairs around the meeting table.

The Roosevelt Room was the original office of the president and became a waiting room once the Oval Office was built. The room is often used to announce nominations and appointments of staff. Named for FDR, the original nickname of the room was the Fish Room, as FDR displayed fishing mementos and an aquarium in the room.

The Situation Room

In times of crisis, the president meets his team and intelligence in the National Security Council's room, known as the Situation Room.

Located on the ground floor of the West Wing, the room was created after the Bay of Pigs. With televisions, video systems and other forms of real-time communication, this is where presidents may receive the current information on what is taking place, unlike what occurred during Kennedy's failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs.

Vice President's Office

The vice president keeps an office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is located across the street from the House.

However, some VPs choose to be closer to the action and use this space dedicated to them, located just down the corridor from the president.

Chief of Staff's Office

Opposite the Vice President's Office and just down the hallway from the Oval Office is the Chief of Staff's Office.

This space is often used for more casual daily meetings.

Brady Briefing Room

Perhaps the most recognized space of those not privy to the interior of the White House, the Brady Briefing Room is the press room used to deliver the news. Although there are nearly 200 members of the White House press corps, the room has chairs for less than 50. The White House Correspondents Association determines who gets a seat.

The briefing room was installed by Richard Nixon and renamed in honor of James S. Brady, Ronald Reagan's press secretary who was shot and permanently disabled while shielding the president from an attempted assassination in 1981.

Press Corps Offices

You see the press gathers during briefings, but they also can use office space within the West Wing. Here, they can make calls and get stories written and sent to their editors.

In 2007, a Radio Row was added to allow for live broadcasts behind soundproof doors.

The number of press members has grown so large that additional office space was added to the ground floor.

The West Wing Ground Floor

Below the Oval Office is a host of amenities for the press, security and the Situation Room, where the president and his advisors meet in times of national security issues.

Below the Briefing Room

Below the Briefing Room is an indoor swimming pool that was installed by FDR for his physical therapy. There is a staircase behind the Briefing Room stage that leads to the now-empty pool.

Hundreds of miles of cable to keep the press connected is now located found here — and the walls are covered with the signature graffiti of former White House staff.

Secret Service Room

The Secret Service has its own office with monitors of every square inch of the White House.

From this room, the Secret Service can see the location of every person on the property and keep a close eye on the president, first lady, vice president and visiting dignitaries.

The West Wing is home to the White House's very own restaurant . Known as the Navy Mess and Ward Room and managed by the Navy, it's located in the West Wing's ground floor.

A mess hall has been in service for the White House since 1951 when it was proposed by Naval Aide to the President, Rear Admiral Robert L. Dennison. It even has a takeout window for on-the-go orders.

The East Wing Second Floor

The two-story East Wing , built in 1942, serves as the entrance into the White House. Visitors go through security on the ground floor, where above, the offices and meeting rooms of the First Lady lie.

Prior to the wing's construction, the space held a greenhouse.

The First Lady's Office

Like the president, the First Lady has her own staff , which includes a chief of staff, a social secretary and a press secretary. She also manages the chief floral designer and the executive chef.

All staff serving the First Lady have offices in the East Wing.

The Calligraphy Room

Yes, there is a room dedicated to calligraphy in the White House.

Here, there is a chief calligrapher and two deputies who hand-write invitations, greetings, awards, proclamations, military commissions and place cards for state dinners and events.

East Wing Ground Floor

There are more offices found on the ground floor of the East Wing as well as two different rooms for welcoming guests.

The family enjoys its own theater within the East Wing.

Originally, the room was a coatroom until FDR converted it into a movie theater. Reagan, a former film star, remodeled it in the 1980s to include tiered rows with 51 seats.

Garden Room

Located on the ground floor of the Residence leading to the East Wing, this corner room overlooks the Jackie Kennedy Garden. 

This is often the place tour groups will meet before receiving their tour of the White House and is often referred to as the Visitor's Foyer.

Heading Outside

The famous Rose and Kennedy Gardens that flank the outdoor corridors to the East and West Wings were added by nature-lover Thomas Jefferson. 

In addition to them, the White House offers a host of outdoor amenities for the families and staff.

Basketball and Tennis

The White House tennis courts were originally installed in 1902, behind the West Wing, but moved to their current location in 1909, after the West Wing was expanded.

Nearby, a small basketball court was not big enough for a full-court game, so Barak Obama had the tennis courts converted into both a tennis and basketball court during his presidency.

In 2020, Melania Trump unveiled plans to construct a tennis pavilion and remove some of the holly trees surrounding the court to let in more light and remove shadows.

Kitchen Garden

Installed by Michelle Obama, the White House got its first kitchen garden in 2009. Providing locally grown food for the presidential family, the garden is 2,800 square feet and filled with vegetables.

The First Lady invites local children to assist with the harvesting of seasonal vegetables in an effort to promote healthy eating.

The White House's outdoor pool was added by Gerald Ford in 1975. An avid swimmer, Ford didn't want to relocate the press room by reopening the indoor pool and chose to build a new pool. 

Its hot tub was added by Hilary Clinton in the 1990s.

The Children's Garden

The Children's Garden , created by Lady Bird Johnson, features the handprints of presidential grandchildren and is an enclosed and quiet space of reflection.

You'll find the handprints of the grandchildren of Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush set into plaques.

The Rose Garden

As the White House was renovated in 1902, a conservatory was removed. First Lady Edith Roosevelt demanded a garden for her roses. 

This West Garden is just outside the Oval Office and features tulips, hyacinth, boxwood and other flowering plants surrounded by shrubs.

Jacqueline Kennedy Garden

Jackie Kennedy wanted to continue developing gardens for the White House to keep in tradition with its 18th century look. 

The East Garden was named in her honor by Lady Bird Johnson in 1965.

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White House Tours: What to Expect when You Visit

The most important thing to know about White House tours is that the require serious planning. Check out our post about how to request White House tickets from your Member of Congress.

The second most important thing to know is what you’re going to see and what you are not. White House tours are an unguided walk and does not include the West Wing. So, unless you are friends with someone in the current presidential administration, you will not get to see the oval office, situation room, or any of the other spaces in the West Wing.

You got White House tickets, now what?

Once you have your confirmed reservation, make sure to review your all the paperwork you get from the White House very carefully. This paperwork will tell you exactly what to bring and also exactly what is prohibited. On the day of your assigned tour, show up on 15th Street NW at least 15 minutes before your assigned time. Photos are allowed on White House tours. However, you are not allowed to take videos.

White House security – what to expect

Security at the White House is tight. There are multiple security checkpoints before you can enter the building. The first checkpoint is the name check, where you will show your photo ID and Secret Service will check your name off the reservation list. Then, you will stand in line to have your photo taken. After that, you will stand in line for the second security check where they have the airport style metal detector. You should plan to spend 30 minutes to an hour in security lines depending on how early in the day your assigned time is.

A very crucial trip hack is to use the restroom before getting in line. The White House has no public restrooms. If there is a restroom emergency, you have to leave the White House grounds and go through the whole security process all over again. The closest public restroom is in the White House Visitor Center at 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

What you see during White House tours

Once you clear security, you will enter the East Wing. Once you enter, you will see a corridor of pictures of past presidents. You will also see some photos of first families and first pets.

After that, you will be able to peek into some of the ground floor rooms like the Library, the China Room, the Map room and Vermeil Room. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to enter any of these rooms.

After that, you will go up and you can walk through the rooms on the state floor. First, there is the East Room which is the biggest room in the White House. The East Room is used for ceremonies, receptions, and has hosted several weddings. The Green Room is next – it is a parlor often used to serve cocktails during the reception. Then, there is the Blue Room which is where the president and first lady often receives guests. The Blue Room is where the White House Christmas tree is located. The Red Room is a small parlor and a personal favorite of some former first ladies. Finally, you will then see the State Dining Room which can host up to 130 people. Then, you will exit through the north side of the building.

How long White House tours take

Since White House tours are unguided, you can take as much time as you need to see everything. However, the average person takes 30-45 minutes. There are no tour guides. But, the Secret Service are stationed in all of the rooms and people do ask them questions. They go through special training and do their best to answer everyone’s questions.

Coming to Washington, DC and want us to show you around? Trip Hacks DC was founded by Rob, a veteran tour guide in the Nation’s Capital. Trip Hacks DC provides tips, tricks and travel hacks for planning your trip; and guided tours to show you around once you get here. Our tours are family and school group friendly and our guides specialize in the major Washington, DC sites.  Click here to check out the upcoming tour options  and to book your tour here today!  Feel free to contact us if you have any tour questions.

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Inside "The West Wing": Revisiting the Bartlet White House

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This fall marks the 25th anniversary of “The West Wing,” consistently ranked among the best TV shows of all time. During its seven-season run on NBC from 1999 to 2006, the show attracted tens of millions of viewers and won two Peabody Awards, three Golden Globes, and 26 Emmys.

Step behind the scenes and into the heart of “The West Wing,” where President Jed Bartlet's world was brought to life by an ensemble of actors like no other. Join cast members Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack as they explore the essence of what made the show a cultural phenomenon.

From heartwarming origin stories to the bittersweet farewell on the show’s final night of filming, the inside look promises on-set and off-camera anecdotes that even the most devoted “West Wing” aficionados have never heard. Fitzgerald and McCormack also examine how the series envisaged an administration based on decency, honor, and service, creating an aspirational White House beyond the bounds of fictional television.

Their book, What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service (Dutton), is available for purchase.

Book Sale Information

• Purchase your copy of What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack here .
• SPECIAL NOTE: Politics and Prose is offering a 10% discount to Smithsonian Associates ticket-holders. To claim your discount, enter the code SPECIAL10 (no space between letters and numbers) in the “Coupon discount” or “Comments” section on Politics and Prose's check-out page.

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Biden White House West Wing Visitors Guide

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Take a 360-Degree Virtual Tour of the White House

The tour includes rarely seen rooms like the Situation Room and Treaty Room.

— -- More than 50 years ago, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy introduced millions of Americans to the White House in a televised tour.

Now, the Obamas are offering a new way to see the People's House -- in virtual reality.

In this virtual experience, viewers can explore the White House and West Wing in 360 degrees. The tour, narrated by President Obama, also allows entry into the rooms that are rarely seen, such as the Situation Room and the Treaty Room, which is Obama's private office.

Throughout the tour, you'll be able to listen to the president and first lady Michelle Obama personally reflect on their time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Last year, the president made his virtual reality debut in a video filmed on his trip to Yosemite National Park.

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7 Secrets of The West Wing Sets

Photo: Eric Liebowitz/NBCU Photo Bank

Back in 1999, Aaron Sorkin gave audiences a key to the White House. With his political drama The West Wing, which ended in 2006, the showrunner, alongside production designers Jon Hutman and Kenneth Hardy, created a painstakingly accurate reproduction of the iconic building. The sets, built on a 20,000-square-foot Los Angeles soundstage, were designed under the eye of former White House staffers, who were hired as consultants to advise on the layout and details of the space. In fact, the Oval Office set reportedly matched its counterpart so closely that the White House didn’t allow Warner Bros. to offer tours to visitors, out of concern for security.

When liberties were taken, it was all for the sake of Sorkin’s storytelling. “They did make changes, especially in the Roosevelt Room, like adding French doors, which allowed for the cast to move around the West Wing to do the famed walk-and-talks,” Ron Simon, curator at The Paley Center for Media, tells AD. (As a salute to the series, earlier this year, the New York City museum featured an exhibition called “Inside The West Wing, ” featuring props, costumes, and artifacts from the show—including the pressroom podium and an original model of the fictional White House.)

To mark 25 years since the show premiered on September 22, 1999, here are some little-known facts about The West Wing ’s labyrinth of sets.

The fictional White House is more glamorous than its real-life counterpart

The west wing.

When asked in a 2001 interview how realistic the sets of The West Wing were, Katharine Q. Seelye, a former White House correspondent, noted that the production team gave the place a facelift.

“The set of the show is much glossier than the reality. The real West Wing, particularly the pressroom, is worn and scruffy and home to the occasional rat (the feral kind),” she explained. “The show’s open and airy workspace, with glass partitions and all-window corridors, is also manufactured.”

The reason for all that glass, Sorkin later explained in an interview with Empire Online , was to offer “more visual interest” onscreen. Plus, Richard Schiff (a.k.a. Toby Ziegler) noted, the windows in the Roosevelt Room allowed audiences to see the maze of rooms that had been intricately built just outside.

That said, the Oval Office is nearly an exact replica

John f. kennedy jr. exploring his father's desk.

Hutman tried to get The West Wing ’s Oval Office as close as possible to reality, with the White House allowing him inside for a closer look at the floor plan and design details for inspiration. The desk that President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) uses is a reproduction of John F. Kennedy’s oak timber desk, minus the trap door, which his son, John F. Kennedy Jr., was famously photographed playing inside.

Aaron Sorkin repurposed the Oval Office set from his film The American President

Michael douglas and rob reiner in 'the american president'.

If President Bartlet’s office looks eerily similar to President Shepard’s in The American President, a 1995 romantic comedy penned by Sorkin, that’s because it’s actually a hand-me-down. Sorkin and Hutman saved pieces from the set to incorporate in The West Wing, leaving the film’s Oval Office and Mural Room entirely intact.

The lobby design was inspired by the Kennedy-era White House

While offering a behind-the-scenes video tour of The West Wing set, Hutman shared that the spaciousness of the White House’s lobby shifted after Richard Nixon became president. Walls were moved in closer, creating a smaller, more narrow space for visitors to enter. That design didn’t work for Hutman, who took inspiration from John F. Kennedy’s lobby design, which featured an open floor plan and elegant white columns.

“There needs to be grandeur when you first come into this place,” West Wing director Thomas Schlamme noted in the video. “In the real West Wing now, that doesn’t exist. We needed that, no matter what, for our show, for our audience, to feel the grandness of this lobby.”

Lighting was key when it came to differentiating rooms

As the cast traveled from one space to another during their lengthy walk-and-talks, cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth employed lighting tricks to make sure that the maze of rooms felt appropriately different from one another.

“We use some deep blues in the fluorescents to characterize different parts of the White House working areas, to separate them from the white-lit areas we have just come from,” Del Ruth told The American Society of Cinematographers. “It makes a nice complimentary palette when you’re using a Steadicam and going through 15 rooms at one time. Each room can have its own feel and look, and it can be done fairly quickly because all of the lights are on dimmers.” (A Steadicam is a device that stabilizes a camera and is used during moving shots.)

You can still visit some of the real-life locations

Us-health-virus.

Fans who want to step inside the world of The West Wing should look no further than Southern California, where a few scenes were filmed on location . The Hilton Checkers Hotel, located in Downtown Los Angeles, doubled as a Washington, DC, hotel in the episode “Take This Sabbath Day,” where Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin) stays when she comes to town.

Head to Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium in Claremont, California, to check out the space that doubled as the White House’s East Room in the episode “Noël.” Though smaller than the actual East Room, production designer Kenneth Hardy thought it had a similar feeling and filled the rooms with replica chandeliers, chairs, flowers and presidential portraits for added effect.

The fishbowl in C.J.’s office was filled with easter eggs

Look closely at the fishbowl in C.J. Cregg’s (Allison Janney) office and you’ll find hidden easter eggs snuck inside by prop master Blanche Sindelar. Each offered a nod to the theme of their respective episode, including a mini ballot box in “Midterms,” a podium in “Inauguration: Over There” and American flags in “War Crimes.”

While the props might not have caught the casual viewer’s eye, Schlamme recalled the crew delighting in discovering Sindelar’s latest additions.

“For all of us it became this thing; we could not wait to see what she had done with the fishbowl,” he told Empire Online, “and the first day of every episode we would all go into C.J.’s office to see what was in there.”

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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When the President is working in the West Wing, a single U.S. Marine stands sentry outside the north entrance. Working in 30 minute shifts, the Marine Corps members make a strong first impression on the dignitaries, leaders and everyday people who visit the West Wing.

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What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service Hardcover – August 13, 2024

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• Print length 608 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Dutton
• Publication date August 13, 2024
• Dimensions 6.3 x 2 x 9.3 inches
• ISBN-10 0593184548
• ISBN-13 978-0593184547
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton (August 13, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593184548
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593184547
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 2 x 9.3 inches
• #2 in Television Dramas
• #2 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences
• #6 in Civics & Citizenship (Books)

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Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 78% 14% 6% 2% 0% 78%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 78% 14% 6% 2% 0% 14%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 78% 14% 6% 2% 0% 6%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 78% 14% 6% 2% 0% 2%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 78% 14% 6% 2% 0% 0%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the writing quality fun, delightful, and witty. They describe the book as an incredible tome that is a must-read for fans of the show. Readers also mention the pacing is poignant, inspiring, and resonates deeply in today's world. They appreciate the natural, conversational style and the depth of knowledge on display.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the writing quality fun, delightful, and witty. They love the banter between the authors and the great commentary from a beloved cast and crew. Readers also mention the book is engaging and informative.

"... It's funny , informative, nostalgic, entertaining - and it renews our connection to this show we've loved so deeply for so long." Read more

"...Conversational, witty and insightful, “What’s Next” is a must-read for fans and all people who are interested in a great read!" Read more

"...have the wheels rolling within the first few page with a wonderful writing style that is altogether breezy, engaging, and informative all at once...." Read more

"...This book is highly entertaining and a very satisfying must read if you are a super fan of "The West Wing". as I am." Read more

Customers find the book incredible, full of stories and tidbits. They say it's a great book for fans and all people interested in TV. Readers also mention the book is highly entertaining and provides great insights into the show's creation and casting.

"...journey back to President Bartlet’s Oval Office, offering untold stories and fresh commentary that even the most devoted fans will find surprising..." Read more

"... Love reading it , enjoying the pictures, also enjoying the televised interviews with the authors and with Martin Sheen...." Read more

Customers find the book's pacing poignant, entertaining, and inspiring. They say it's an in-depth dive into the heart and soul of what made The West Wing. Readers also mention the book has a great tone.

"...It's funny, informative, nostalgic , entertaining - and it renews our connection to this show we've loved so deeply for so long." Read more

"...a behind-the-scenes look at a beloved series; it’s a deep dive into the heart and soul of what made "The West Wing" a cultural phenomenon in the..." Read more

"It was wonderful reliving memories of my favorite show. This book makes you laugh and makes you cry. It’s a perfect book for any West Wing fans...." Read more

"A bright dose of hope, great memories , lessons in civics, civility and service and plenty of wonderful, funny and poignant stories...." Read more

Customers find the writing style great and conversational. They say the book beautifully captures the camaraderie among the cast and crew. Readers also appreciate the pictures and televised interviews with the authors.

"...And it reads amazingly well , better than books written by actors ever read...." Read more

"... Conversational , witty and insightful, “What’s Next” is a must-read for fans and all people who are interested in a great read!" Read more

"...The writers thoroughly engage the reader with their natural, conversational style ...." Read more

"...The book beautifully captures the camaraderie among the cast and crew, the dedication to creating a show that stood for decency and honor, and the..." Read more

Customers find the book's information quality good. They appreciate the depth of knowledge on display, saying it's beautifully written and detailed.

"...It's funny, informative , nostalgic, entertaining - and it renews our connection to this show we've loved so deeply for so long." Read more

"...writing style that is altogether breezy, engaging, and informative all at once ...." Read more

" I appreciate the detail and being able to relive some of the great show characters." Read more

"I can't express how big a fan I am of this book. The depth of knowledge on display , mixed with a great tone that really mirrors Sorkin's West Wing,..." Read more

Customers find the book to be terrific and enjoyable. They appreciate the pictures and televised interviews.

"...Love reading it, enjoying the pictures , also enjoying the televised interviews with the authors and with Martin Sheen...." Read more

"Five stars for a fantastic look at The West Wing , but the authors snarky asides take away from the reading experience, at least for me, which is why..." Read more

" Terrific behind the scene look at all aspects of the production of West Wing through seven seasons...." Read more

"It is a great inside look at our favorite show !" Read more

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