Jill Biden Unveils a Reimagined White House Tour, Which Invites Visitors to 'Touch, Hear and See' History
The public tours of the historic residence hadn’t been overhauled in decades. For two years, the first lady’s office has been working to make them more interactive and educational
Sarah Kuta
Daily Correspondent
November 1, 2024
Each room on the tour now has a "reader rail" that provides historical information and context. Erin Scott / White House
Each week, roughly 10,000 visitors tour the White House. However, Jill Biden wasn’t convinced they were getting enough out of the experience.
The first lady took matters into her own hands. After two years of work, Biden has unveiled a newly upgraded White House tour that lets visitors “touch, hear and see their history up close,” she said at an October 21 event introducing the upgrade, per the Associated Press’ Darlene Superville.
Biden says she hopes the new tour will be more accessible, interactive and educational. It incorporates digital technology and allows visitors to see more of the historic mansion, which was built between 1792 and 1800.
When Biden moved into the White House in 2021, she learned that public self-guided tours hadn’t seen “any significant improvements in decades,” as she says in a statement. In the past, the tour included several rooms that were roped off, allowing only a quick peek inside.
“[The tours] weren’t dynamic,” Biden tells the Washington Post’s Roxanne Roberts. “They weren’t interactive. There was no explanation of anything. There was just the rope across the door to the room so people could sort of peer in, but they couldn’t see what was behind them, to the right, or they couldn’t see any of the beautiful paintings on the walls.”
More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jill-biden-unveils-a-reimagined-white-house-tour-which-invites-visitors-to-touch-hear-and-see-history-180985375/
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