The Peoples House: White House Historical Association Opening A Techdriven Educational Center In 2024
WASHINGTON – A visit to the White House is a must when visiting Washington, but the experience can make some guests wonder about places they've never seen before, like the Oval Office.
The White House Historical Society hopes to answer some of these questions when it opens the House to the Public: The White House Experience in the fall of 2024.
The $30 million education center, located on three floors across from the White House at Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, will use the latest technology to educate the public about the historic executive residence and its history.
"It's an immersive, technology-infused experience where you go into different places, and through the wonders of modern technology, those places become parts of the White House around you," said Stuart McLaurin, president of the association.
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The center is a large cut-out model of the White House with rooms that can be turned into a green room, blue room or red room with technology. A full replica of the Oval Office depicts the attire of a sitting president. Roostuinvermaak offers the experience of walking among flowers.
The upper galleries allow visitors to explore the stateroom, state dining room and cinema room. Another gallery learns about the many invisible people (managers, cooks, florists, janitors, housekeepers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters) who support the White House and make it function as a home in its many functions. Family. Office of the president and his staff, ceremony site and museum.
People will also learn about the slave labor that went into building the White House.
McLaurin said the People's House is intended to be a free upgrade for those visiting the White House, but will also be an option for those who can't afford a tourist ticket.
"When you visit the White House, as impressive as it is, because it's a working house and an office, it's very limited and you can go see the places and get the experience of being there," he said. He says. "But you can't stay there to really understand what happened in that place."
Earlier this month, plans for the public house were unveiled to donors at the association's main fundraising event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. First Lady Jill Biden praised the project in front of a crowd at a private event attended by actors Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen. Both have played presidents on television and in movies.
"This is mainly an educational project," he said. "To teach our students about our country's origins, to bring to life the countless people who founded and made the White House the cornerstone of our democracy."
"As a teacher, I believe that our present and future are inseparable from our past," she continued. "When we learn from the past, we change not only with information, but with a deeper understanding of our responsibility as citizens, to respect each other, to protect our democracy and our freedoms."
"I think this is needed now more than ever, at a time when our institutions are under attack and some of our leaders seem determined to bury our history," Biden added.
The center will be open seven days a week, McLaurin said.
Because the association is privately funded, he said, "Even if the government shuts down in any situation, people can manage our practice."
About 500,000 people visit the White House each year, McLaurin said. He expressed hope that the new center will attract more visitors.
He said that in addition to the construction cost of $30 million, the association is raising another $50 million for implementation.
The center will include a long-requested feature of the association, an education wing with classrooms for up to 200 students.
The White House Historical Society was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to preserve the quality of the White House Museum's interior and educate the public. It is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that receives no government funding. It raises funds mainly through private donations and retail sales.
