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Explore the White House with Google Arts & Culture

Oct 27, 2023

[[read-time]] min read

Surya Tubach
Program Manager, Google Arts & Culture
a picture of The White House

It’s National Civics Day, and we’re taking a unique tour inside one of the most famous American structures of all: the White House.

“Welcome to the White House” is the first virtual guided tour of the White House’s official tour route complete with accessible audio captions and Spanish translations, so that Americans everywhere can “visit” the People’s House. The tour was captured using Street View that lives on both Google Maps and Google Arts & Culture — and the tour is now open to anyone with an internet connection, not only those who can visit in-person.

Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t always called “the White House.” Throughout the 1800s different names were tried — the "President's Palace," the "President's House" or the "Executive Mansion” — but it was Theodore Roosevelt who gave the White House its simple and direct name in 1901, and it stuck.

In this tour, you're invited to explore 11 unique rooms in the White House, from the Blue Room (where the only White House wedding in history took place), to the Library with an American landscape by Georgia O’Keeffe, to the East Room, where Abraham Lincoln first promoted Ulysses S. Grant.

So take the tour, today, and we hope this slice of living history inspires you this National Civics Day to learn more about our country’s history.

  • A color photograph of the White House’s front view. It is still day time, the sky is slightly gray. The water flows out of the fountain and into a pool of turquoise water. The fountain is surrounded by a garden of yellow tulips. Green bushes surround the front lawn of the White House, and to the side, there are green trees.

    “White House Front View” by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

  • A color photograph of the White House’s front view. It is day time and the sky is blue. The water flows out of the fountain in the front, in this image, found on the left. Green bushes surround the front lawn of the White House, and to the side, there are green trees. Across from the bushes are a large garden of red flowers.

    “White House Front View'' by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

  • A street view capture of the Red Room in the White House. The walls are red as are the chairs. The are 5 red charis with brown wooden legs, accompanied by a red couch, 3 brown tables. There are 2 windows , each one adorned by red and gold curtains. There is a chandelier that’s on. The walls are adorned by portraits in gold frames.

    “Red Room” by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

  • A street view capture of the movie theater located in the White House. The walls of the room are adorned by red and gold panels. There are several rows of seats, all of which are red. The four in the front row are still different, but distinct from the rest through their quilted red upholstering. Each one has a navy blue covering over the head of the seat.

    “Movie Theater” by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

  • A street view capture of the library located in the White House. On the floor is a rug with a burgundy and navy blue pattern. In the middle is a brown table and across are 2 red chairs with brown legs. In the middle of the table, there is a white floral arrangement. Shelves of books adorn the wall, and seating is found all around the room.

    “The Library” by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

  • The green room in the white house, the walls are green with paintings on them and a chandelier hangs from the middle of the room. Period piece furniture is throughout.

    “Green Room” by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

  • The blue room in the White House. Blue carpet and blue drapes are in a room with paintings on the wall and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

    “Blue Room” by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

  • a larger stately room two fireplaces and multiple paintings, including Gilbert Stuart's 1797 portrait of President George Washington and John Singer Sargent's 1903 portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt.

    “The East Room” by The White House | The White House on Google Arts & Culture

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