White House Resumes Tours as East Wing Demolished

The White House will resume public tours on Dec. 2, 2025, on an updated route entering through the North Portico because the East Wing is closed for demolition and construction of a new ballroom. The administration describes the project as a roughly 90,000-square-foot, $300 million glass-walled ballroom that has required temporary relocation of the first lady's offices and will be funded by private donations, while critics raise concerns about historic preservation and donor influence. Several ground-floor spaces — including the China Room, Vermeil Room, library, East Colonnade, and views of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden — will be off-limits while they are repurposed or affected by construction. All December tours will feature State Floor Christmas decorations curated under First Lady Melania Trump. Congressional offices may resume submitting tour requests beginning Nov. 3, with December tour slots opening 30 days before each date and additional January availability to follow. The administration frames the reopening as a chance to reconnect visitors with the "People's House" and boost tourism.