White House Facts for Kids

white house facts

  • Name: White House
  • Location: Washington, D.C., USA
  • GPS Cordinates: 38°53’52″N 77°02’11″W
  • Built: Between 1792 and 1800
  • Opened: November 1st, 1800
  • First Resident: Former U.S. President John Adams
  • Significance: President of the United States Residence

29 White House Facts for Kids

  1. The White House is a United States federal government building.
    A Picture of the White House
  2. The current United States President lives and works at the White House.
  3. Since 1800, every U.S President has lived in the White House, starting with former U.S. President John Adams.
  4. The White House is in Washington, D.C., United States of America.
  5. The address for the White House is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.
  6. The GPS coordinates for the White House are 38°53’52″N 77°02’11″W.
  7. The White House was designed by Irish architect James Hoban.
  8. The architectural style used to design the White House was neoclassical.
  9. It took 8 years and 19 days to build the White House.
  10. Construction of the White House started on October 13th, 1792.
  11. Construction of the White House was completed on November 1st, 1800.
  12. The White House was built by immigrants, African-American laborers (enslaved and free) and Europeans.
  13. There is about 55,000 square feet of floor space in the White House.
  14. The White House has 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms.
  15. The White House has 412 doors and 147 windows.
  16. The White House has 3 elevators and 8 staircases.
  17. The White House has a bowling alley (one lane), movie theater, tennis court, putting green and a swimming pool.
  18. There are three major sections of the White House, the West Wing, the East Wing and the Residence.
  19. The West Wing contains the U.S. President’s office (The Oval Office), senior staff offices, Cabinet Room, Briefing Room, Roosevelt Room and the Situation Room.
  20. The East Wing contains the office for the First Lady of the United States, additional offices and the Social Office.
  21. The Residence is where the U.S. President and their family lives. Additionally, there are other rooms for entertainment, ceremonies, a kitchen and other offices.
  22. The exterior of the White House is known as the grounds. The White House grounds cover over 18 acres of land.
  23. The White House is guarded by the U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Secret Service.
  24. It’s estimated that over 30,000 people visit the White house ever week.
  25. In 1814, the British set fire to the White House during the War of 1812. It was severely damaged, but First Lady Dolley Madison was able to save many of the valuables in the White House before the British arrived.
  26. In 1960, the White House was designated a National Historic Landmark.
  27. In 1994, Frank Eugene Corder crashed a small plane onto the White House lawn.
  28. Between 1961 and 1963 First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy helped with extensive redecoration of the White House.
  29. In 2007, the White House was ranked the 2nd most favorite American Architecture by the AIA.

Find More Facts About the White House

  • White House Official Website – Learn more about the White House and what’s going on in the United States on the WhiteHouse.gov website.
  • White House History – Read about the history of the White House, significant events and other news on the White House History website.
  • Pictures of the White House – View some awesome pictures of the White House taken by people all over the world on the Flickr website.
  • White House – Britannica – Discover more about the history of the White House on the Britannica website.

 

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