The below digital notebook was created by the White House Historical Association to assist students and teachers using “The White House 360 Virtual Tour” in their classrooms. Even if students are learning in a virtual, in-person, or hybrid format, these materials are accessible and will accompany them on their journey through these tours.

Page The Presidents and the Theatre. Read Digital Edition Foreword, William SealeThe Man Who Came to Dinner at the White House: Alexander Woollcott Visits the Roosevelts, Mary Jo Binker The Curse of the Presidential Musical: Mr. President and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Amy HendersonFord's Theatre and the White House, William O'Brien The American Presidents and Shakespeare, Paul F. Boller Jr ...

Page The Presidents and the Theatre. Read Digital Edition Foreword, William SealeThe Man Who Came to Dinner at the White House: Alexander Woollcott Visits the Roosevelts, Mary Jo Binker The Curse of the Presidential Musical: Mr. President and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Amy HendersonFord's Theatre and the White House, William O'Brien The American Presidents and Shakespeare, Paul F. Boller Jr ...

Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families.

During the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the White House underwent a renovation and expansion so extensive, it changed the Executive Mansion more than the fire of 1814. The White House we know today is largely due to the renovation led by Truman.

The White House 1600 Sessions is a podcast that explores the history, untold stories, and personal accounts of America’s most iconic residence and office – The White House. Through conversations with historians and eyewitnesses to history, we open the doors to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The 2024 White House Gingerbread House, on display in the State Dining Room, featured a golden starburst atop the White House and an ice skating rink – complete with skaters – on the South Lawn. David Wiegold for the White House Historical Association

William Seale, The President’s House, (The White House Historical Association, 2008), 27-29; William Seale, “James Hoban: Builder of the White House,” White House History 22 (Spring 2008): 8-9. Thomas Jefferson promoted the idea of a national design competition, modeling it after similar contests in Europe.

The People's House: Although John Adams was the first to occupy the Executive Mansion in November 1800, it was Thomas Jefferson who first celebrated the Fourth of July at the White House in 1801. Jefferson opened the house and greeted diplomats, civil and military officers, citizens, and Cherokee chiefs in the oval saloon (today’s Blue Room).

There is a popular misconception that the White House was first painted white to cover the scorch marks left by British soldiers who burned the house on August 24, 1814. In fact, the White House first received a lime-based whitewash in 1798 to protect its sandstone exterior from moisture and cracking during winter freezes.