Reminder - White House Garden Tour
In DC, the best house tour to score is the White House. And while the rules on getting to tour the White House are more complicated, they still do the occasional open tour. This weekend is the second of three summer garden tours at the White House. The last scheduled dates is August 11. There will be two tours each day at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Everyone (even small children) must have a ticket. Tickets will be distributed (one per person) beginning at 8 a.m. at the Ellipse Visitors’ Pavilion until they are gone, so everyone who wants to go on the tour must be in line for a ticket. In case of inclement weather, the tours will be canceled.
If you want a regular White House tour, the National Park Service has compiled a very handy list of information including how to get a tour (through your Congressional representative), how far in advance (up to 6 months and in plenty of time to provide all the necessary security information, etc.). And if you have friends living in DC that you’re visiting, it’s much easier for you to call your Congressional representative than for the local folks up here - the local reps here are slammed with requests so you have a better chance with your own.