The tour is popular and hundreds of thousands of people visit the historic buildings every year.
Trump’s Rose Garden Redesign, Ballroom Plans Cause Controversy
President Donald Trump’s redesign of Rose Garden elicited a mixed reaction after it was revealed, causing controversy.
- The White House has suspended its public tour in anticipation of additional construction of Trump’s proposed ballroom.
- Lawmakers lined up tours for constituents apologise for the inconvenience, but have accepted requests when the ballroom construction is complete.
WASHINGTON – The White House has suspended popular public tours of the historic building while President Donald Trump plans to build a new ballroom.
The White House has not announced how long the tour hiatus will last. However, lawmakers arranging tours for their constituents, subject to White House approval, warn that no one is expected in an indefinite future.
“The Trump administration has announced that as of September 1, 2025, the White House Ballroom will not be available for tours due to the construction of the White House Ballroom near the tour route at East Wing in the White House.” “We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Tours have been popular for years and are booked weeks or months in advance. The White House distributed 6,000 tickets per day during the Reagan administration and hosted 10,000 visitors a week in the Biden administration.
The White House decides who will get the ticket, but lawmakers will collect tour requests that include background information about applicants for security checks. Lawmakers warn that demand is heavy and requests should be made at least a week, preferably a few months in advance.
Sharon Nichols, a spokesman for D-DC representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, said the White House has not cancelled its lawmakers’ tours, but it has not only temporarily “suspended.” Norton’s office received 18 requests for the tour last month, and the office has admitted it is waiting for more information about when the tour will resume, Nichols said.
R-Maine’s Senator Susan Collins’ office said the tour was suspended in September “for on-site construction,” but “the tour may be required at a later date, subject to availability and guidance from the White House.”
R-Florida’s office of Rep. Aaron Bean said “scheduled construction temporarily suspends bookings for White House tours.” However, he proposes a tour of The People’s House Exhibit, provided by the White House Historic Association across from the historic building.
Rep. Brittany Pettersen of D-Colorado said he would accept the October request, but it was not clear when the tour would resume.
Trump announced the Ballroom Project in July, providing more space for events than the East Room, which can accommodate around 200 people. Construction is scheduled to begin in September.
The $200 million project, funded by private donations, aims to add 90,000 square feet of space to accommodate 650 people. The expansion is important for the current 55,000 square feet of state floors, first floors and building residences, and does not count the east or west wings.
The project is one of several Trumps pursued in the White House. He also paved the rose garden, which remains surrounded by iconic bushes, and added gold decorations to the oval office.
On the tour, visitors were leading the visitors, including East Wing public rooms, libraries, Chinese rooms, blue rooms, red rooms, green rooms and state dining rooms. The guide provides an explanation of the history, art and furniture for each room.
For example, according to the White House Historical Society, you can get views of the memorials of Washington and Jefferson. Vermeil’s room features a collection of golden silver bequeathed by Margaret Thompson Biddle during the Eisenhower administration in 1956.
Apart from federal holidays, tours are generally open from 7:30am to 11:30am on Tuesdays through Thursdays and from 7:30am to 1:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays
