First Lady Jill Biden has introduced a revamped White House public tour aimed at providing visitors with a more engaging and sensory experience to learn about the mansion's rich history and significant events. One of the key additions to the tour is the inclusion of the previously restricted Diplomatic Reception Room, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously recorded his 'fireside chats,' with snippets of these conversations now playing for visitors.
Visitors will now have access to several other ground-floor rooms that were previously off-limits, including the library, the China Room showcasing presidential place settings, and the Vermeil Room housing a collection of gold-plated silver tableware. Additionally, there is increased access to the East Room, State Dining Room, and the Red, Blue, and Green Rooms located on the State Floor above.
New displays and reader rails have been installed throughout the tour route, offering written details about the rooms, their contents, and historical significance. These displays aim to engage visitors' senses by providing experiences that encourage touching, seeing, and hearing. For instance, visitors can listen to a loop of place settings in the China Room and read a replica prayer in the State Dining Room.
First Lady Jill Biden, a seasoned educator, emphasized the importance of catering to different learning styles, stating that the tour now includes replicas for tactile experiences and screens for visual learners. The tour enhancements were inspired by the First Lady's personal walkthrough of the route, leading to an expansion of educational and historical content.
Notable updates include digital collages replacing printed photos in the hallway, a vertical 3D model illustrating the White House campus's evolution over the past two centuries, and interactive experiences developed in collaboration with the National Park Service, White House Curator's office, and the White House Historical Association.
Funded by a generous $5 million donation from the History Channel to the National Park Service, the project aims to provide a more immersive and informative experience for the approximately 10,000 visitors who tour the White House weekly. The tour now features video greetings from the President and First Lady, with plans for future administrations to record their own messages to ensure continuity in the tour experience.
