Inside the White House: a view of the president's home (original) (raw)

Published January 17, 2025

On November 1, 1800, John Adams became the first president to live in the White House when he moved into a suite of rooms on the second floor of the mansion. Since then, those same rooms have been home to every U.S. president while in office.

The presidential private quarters consist of 17 rooms, along with a third floor added in the 1920s that contains additional living space and guest rooms.

While spacious today, this living space wasn’t always so grand. During most of the 19th century, the second floor was crammed with both the president’s living quarters and the presidential offices. In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt moved the presidential offices to the newly built West Wing – providing more space for the first family.

For over 224 years, these rarely seen spaces have witnessed historic moments, from Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to Franklin Roosevelt learning about the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

They’ve also witnessed the private moments of the first families, from President John F. Kennedy playing with his children to President Lyndon Johnson taking photos with his daughter Lynda on her wedding day.

As you scroll down, you’ll hear more about the rooms where the president lives, along with seeing past photos of the famous families who’ve occupied them for over two centuries.