WASHINGTON — After a brief hiatus, White House tours have resumed just in time for the holiday season, though the visitor experience has changed significantly. Construction of a new ballroom in place of the East Wing has altered both the entrance and the route for visitors, resulting in a shorter tour with fewer historic rooms on display.
The tours, suspended in September during the start of construction and the leveling of the East Wing in October, reopened Tuesday. Visitors this week were greeted with festive displays designed by First Lady Melania Trump, highlighting her signature holiday décor.
“I’m glad they started it up again,” said Kevin Heins of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, who toured the White House with his wife. “A highlight of the tour was the Red Room, which has been decorated with more than 10,000 blue butterflies.”
The butterflies are a symbol of transformation and celebrate young people supported by Fostering the Future, part of the Be Best initiative launched during the first Trump administration.
Susan Bare, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, said the butterflies resonated personally, reminding her of her late son, who planted a butterfly bush before dying in a car accident. “My Christmas tree has butterflies on it,” she said.
Some visitors noted how quickly they completed the tour, now limited to the State Floor, including the East Room, Green, Blue, and Red Rooms, State Dining Room, Cross Hall, and Grand Foyer.
“The tour was significantly longer last year,” said Amiah Henry, a student at Sulphur High School in Louisiana. “It got cut down a lot.” Rooms on the Ground Floor, such as the China and Vermeil Rooms, are currently off-limits because staff displaced by the East Wing construction are using them as temporary offices.
“It’s definitely a big change. There was a lot of, like, beauty in the East Wing, and that was my favorite part of the tour,” Henry said, while construction noise echoed in the background. “I’m sad I didn’t get to see it today, but, you know, what can I do?”
Heins, a retiree who served in law enforcement and the military, expressed optimism about the new ballroom. “The tour was a little bit shorter, but I think in the long run, with the extension of the ballroom, I think it’s going to be a good thing because you won’t have to wait outside in tents for events and all that,” he said. “I just think that, with our country, we should have something nice to host events at the White House.”
The White House has stated that the ballroom construction will ultimately enhance the venue’s functionality, particularly for official events, while continuing to offer public access to key historic areas during the holiday season.
Originally reported by DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press in Fox 44 News.
