Is it difficult to get to the White House in Washington?

One of the world's most famous administrative buildings is the White House in Washington. His photo is decorated with all textbooks on American history. The official residence of the President of the United States of America is one of the most important symbols of American statehood. And besides, it is also an ordinary residential house of a person temporarily staying in the highest state post.

From the history

The White House in Washington was the residence of all the presidents except for the very first. During George Washington's reign, it was not yet built. Construction lasted eight years and was completed in 1800, during the reign of the second president, John Edams. The building is made in the best traditions of European classicism. Before his architect James Hoban was a rather difficult task. The White House in Washington had to match the status of its inmate and at the same time - radically differ from all the palaces of the ruling European monarchies. External majesty was to be combined with an emphatic democracy. After more than two hundred years, it can be confidently asserted that the architect coped with his task simply brilliantly. In the history of the White House, fires and renovations have occurred, at the beginning of the twentieth century two lateral wings were attached to the building. But the overall composition plan remained unchanged.

About architectural features

The White House in Washington is underlined devoid of external luxury. The building is structured fairly functionally. At a relatively low altitude, it consists of six floors. Two of which are recessed into the base and used mainly for technical support services. Two more floors are allocated for the office of the head of state and for the personal apartments of his family. There are two expressive facades aimed at opposite sides of the world. But the visible image of the White House is most often associated with a semicircular colonnade in the form of a rotunda in the depths of the park. In addition to the famous Oval Office, where the President signs state papers and accepts visitors, the East, Green, Blue and Red rooms and the Dining Room for official events should be classified as historically significant rooms.

Park around the White House

The White House in Washington is located on the territory of the Presidential Park with an area of more than seven hectares. In the formation of this landscape object for two centuries, the temporary residents of the residence of the President of the United States were directly involved. In the western part is located the Rose Garden, laid down by the wife of Woodrow Wilson. And near the East Wing is the Garden of Jacqueline Kennedy. The Presidential Park is arranged in such a way that both facades of the White House can be clearly seen from behind it, from the roadway. The fence of the park, on both sides of it, is always crowded with tourists. They want to be photographed on the background of the facade of the residence of the President of the United States.

Excursion to the White House

The principal point is the openness of the residence of the head of state for a simple public. This is a kind of historical tradition. An excursion to the White House is possible for everyone and is free of charge. The only difficulty - the number of people willing to make such a visit is much greater than the ability to accept them. Therefore, you should contact the administration in advance and reserve the queue. Visitors have the opportunity to inspect all the historically significant premises, except for the personal apartments of the President's family. The official mailing address of the White House in Washington: 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC, 20500, United States. The presidential residence is open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday. In some periods of time, excursions are not possible for technical reasons, so you should first familiarize yourself with the possibility of visiting the official website of the White House. According to the established tradition, applications for excursions are accepted for half a year.

The image of the White House in cinema, culture and the media sphere

The White House in Washington is well known even to those who have never been to the United States. Hollywood cinematography regularly communicates the visual image of this building to the most remote corners of the world. Most often, the White House appears in episodes where authors are required to identify the seriousness of the depicted circumstances. But in a number of outstanding blockbusters, the presidential residence is in the center of the plot. Suffice it to recall the "Independence Day", "Clash with the Abyss" or "President's Airplane". Every day, the White House in Washington appears on television in news bulletins. In addition, those who forgot how it looks, just look at the wallet. If there is found a note worth twenty dollars, then on its reverse side you can find an image of the White House.