• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Award Expert
Home » News » Cameras Now Permitted on White House Tours!
News

Cameras Now Permitted on White House Tours!

Matthew August 8, 2015 Leave a Comment

white-house-tour-pictures-permitted

I used to work at the White House and once in a while I would volunteer to conduct weekend East Wing tours — I remember how delighted I was to visit the White House for the first time as a tourist and there was something special about introducing others to the White House for the first time. Problem was you had to absorb it in your mind, for no photography was permitted. That has now changed — for the first time in four decades, photos are now permitted and encouraged.

The White House tour takes you through the diplomatic rooms on two floors and is a relatively short self-guided tour — you’re done in 10-15 minutes — but each room is quite photogenic and worthy of a snapshot. As long as you’re not lugging in professional photography equipment, you are free to snap away. White House tours must be requested from your Member of Congress.

Here’s a hint: White House tours are like airline award ticket availability — they follow a pattern of being more available when you book really far out or really close in. It is always better to book as far out as possible, for there is no guarantee of last-minute space, but even if you planned the trip late and are told repeatedly by the office of your Member of Congress that there is no space, it does not hurt to ask two or three days before. People do cancel and the clearance process is relatively quick. No Congressional website will mention this and many, in fact, will state that that 3-6 months of notice is required, but this is not necessarily the case. It never hurts to ask.

Never plan a trip to DC around a White House tour, though, because tours are always subject to cancellation in case of an unexpected event or visitor — when I was in the White House tours were cancelled all the time.

michelle-obama-white-house-tour-pictures
Michelle Obama / Instagram
Previous Article New Priority Pass Lounge in T5 at London Heathrow
Next Article Humorous New Delta Air Lines Safety Video

About Author

Matthew

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 120 countries over the last decade. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, BBC, Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Al Jazeera, Toronto Star, and on NPR. Studying international relations, American government, and later obtaining a law degree, Matthew has a plethora of knowledge outside the travel industry that leads to a unique writing perspective. He has served in the United States Air Force, on Capitol Hill, and in the White House. His Live and Let's Fly blog shares the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs and promotions, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel. His writings on penandpassport.com offer more general musings on life from the eyes of a frequent traveler. He also founded awardexpert.com, a highly-personalized consulting service that aids clients in the effective use of their credit card points and frequent flyer miles. Clients range from retirees seeking to carefully use their nest egg of points to multinational corporations entrusting Matthew with the direction and coordination of company travel.

Related Posts

  • Korean Air Nutgate Watergate

    Nutgate and Watergate 2.0: The Disgraced Sisters of Korean Air

    April 23, 2018
  • Venezuela Bans Copa Airlines

    April 7, 2018
  • AA’s Interesting New Route to Buenos Aires

    March 28, 2018

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Thrown Off a United Airlines Flight for Taking Pictures! February 19, 2013
  • Turkish Airlines Safety
    Is it Safe to Fly Turkish Airlines? July 21, 2016
  • United Club
    5 Reasons to Purchase a United Club One-Time Pass May 16, 2013
  • How to Make the Most of an Airline Schedule Change August 25, 2015
  • The Kahala Still a Treasure in Honolulu April 23, 2018
  • Korean Air Nutgate Watergate
    Nutgate and Watergate 2.0: The Disgraced Sisters of Korean Air April 23, 2018
  • A380 Lufthansa Review
    Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 22, 2018 April 22, 2018
  • Hyatt Regency Cartagena
    Hyatt Offering Quasi-Variable Priced Awards – Good and Bad April 22, 2018

Recent Posts

  • The Kahala Still a Treasure in Honolulu April 23, 2018
  • Korean Air Nutgate Watergate
    Nutgate and Watergate 2.0: The Disgraced Sisters of Korean Air April 23, 2018
  • A380 Lufthansa Review
    Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 22, 2018 April 22, 2018
  • Hyatt Regency Cartagena
    Hyatt Offering Quasi-Variable Priced Awards – Good and Bad April 22, 2018

Categories

Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

Archives

August 2015
M T W T F S S
« Jul   Sep »
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
Facebook Twitter Instagram RSS