Summary
- The Trump administration suspends public White House tours.
- Suspension due to upcoming ballroom construction.
- Construction starts scheduled soon, causing closures.
- Multiple congressional offices confirmed the suspension.
- Tours expected to resume after construction ends.
According to the White House, the halt on these trips will begin in September and that they may be postponed "indefinitely," according to spokespeople or the official websites for a number of these members.
Offices cited "construction projects," "extensive renovations," and "construction on the new White House ballroom" as some of the reasons for the tour halt.
Every White House tour is arranged by the senator or visitor's representative. During the Biden administration, the White House hosted weekly tours of about 10,000 people.
The White House website's Visit the White House page welcomes visitors with an "Announcement Regarding Upcoming Expansion" regarding the ballroom project, which it states will start in September, but it makes no mention of the tours being paused.
The website for Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., reads: “Unfortunately, the Trump administration recently announced that it would pause all public tours of the White House beginning in September to accommodate construction projects. We apologize for any inconvenience to those who have submitted tour requests for this period, and will share further updates as soon as additional guidance is available.”
The website for Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., says:
“Beginning on September 1st, 2025, the White House will be undergoing extensive renovations. As a result, all tours of the White House are postponed indefinitely. To read more information from the White House, please read their official statement. We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.”
Other congressional offices said they have received unclear instruction about tours when they’ve asked the administration.
“We haven’t gotten any real guidance from the WH – they haven’t published any new dates and when we’ve inquired they said that availability has not yet been published as they continue to finalize the president’s schedule,"
one congressional aide said.
Additionally, a different congressional office stated that it was awaiting a more "formal announcement from the visitor's office" regarding the next steps for planning public tours of the East Wing.
"Military families who had been approved for tours timed to show their families the White House before they were transferred to new duty stations outside the region"
were among the clients whose September tour was canceled, according to another office.
“They’re pretty disappointed,”
the aide added.
The Trump administration suspended tours for about a month at the start of his second term in January. First lady Melania Trump made the announcement when they reopened in late February.
How will the new ballroom affect White House visitor access during renovations?
Public White House tours have been temporarily suspended starting September 2025 due to the direct impact of construction on current screening and entry processes. Booking for new tours has been paused, and no tours are anticipated for the foreseeable future.
When tours resume, visitors will likely experience shortened routes and miss access to some areas, particularly those near the East Wing, where the ballroom is being built. Historic rooms like the first lady's office, Booksellers Hall, and parts of the family wing may be inaccessible during construction.
Construction will require establishing temporary visitor screening locations and adjustments to the perimeter of Secret Service protection, complicating access logistics.