Strolling Around the White House

START: White House Visitor Center, 1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (Metro: Federal Triangle or Metro Center).

FINISH: The Penn Quarter (Metro: Federal Triangle or Metro Center).

TIME: 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours (not including stops). It’s about a 1.6-mile trek.

BEST TIME: During the day. If you want to hit all of the museums, stroll on a Thursday or Friday.

WORST TIME: After dark, as some streets can be deserted.

The White House is the centerpiece of a national park, President’s Park, which includes not just the house itself but also its grounds, from the Ellipse to Pennsylvania Avenue to Lafayette Square; the U.S. Treasury Building on 15th Street; and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on 17th Street. The individual histories of many of the surrounding buildings and sites are entwined with that of the White House. As you wend your way from landmark to landmark, you’ll be mingling with White House administration staff, high-powered attorneys, diplomats, and ordinary office workers. But all of you are treading the same ground as early American heroes—like Stephen Decatur, whose house you’ll see—and every president since George Washington (though the White House was not finished in time for him to live there).

This tour circumnavigates the White House grounds, with stops at historic sites and several noteworthy museums, as well. The White House Visitor Center is a good place to begin and end (for one thing, it’s got restrooms!). Note: Tours of the White House require advance reservations, as do tours of the U.S. Treasury Building. Go to www.treasury.gov/about/education/pages/tours.aspx to register for a Treasury Building tour.

From the White House Visitor Center, stroll up 15th Street to your first stop, at 15th and F streets NW.

1  U.S. Treasury Building

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s brilliant musical Hamilton has brought the man and his times to life on Broadway and beyond. On this tour, you must settle for Hamilton, the statue. It stands outside the south end of the U.S. Treasury Building, too close to the White House for security’s comfort to allow stray tourists a better look, so you must resign yourself to gazing at him from a distance through the black iron fencing. Hamilton, who devised our modern financial system, was the first Secretary of the Treasury, established by Congress in 1789. Once you’ve caught a glimpse of Hamilton’s statue, turn your attention to the Treasury’s headquarters, America’s oldest office building, constructed between 1836 and 1869. Its most notable architectural feature is the colonnade you see running the length of the building: 30 columns, each 36 feet tall, carved out of a single piece of granite. In its lifetime, the building has served as a Civil War barracks, as a temporary home for President Andrew Johnson following the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865, and as the site of President Ulysses S. Grant’s inaugural reception. Today the building houses offices for the U.S. Treasurer, the Secretary of the Treasury, its General Counsel, and their staffs.

Continue north on 15th Street and turn left onto the Pennsylvania Avenue promenade, where you’ll notice the statue of Albert Gallatin, the fourth Secretary of the Treasury, standing accessibly on the north side of the Treasury Building. Continue along:

2  Pennsylvania Avenue

Say hello to the president, who resides in that big white house beyond the black iron fencing. Security precautions keep this 2-block section of Pennsylvania Avenue closed to traffic. But that’s a good thing. You may have to dodge bicyclists, roller skaters, joggers, and random Frisbees, but not cars. Ninety Princeton American elm trees line the 84-foot-wide promenade, which offers plenty of great photo ops as you stroll past the White House. There are benches here, too, in case you’d like to sit and people-watch. L’Enfant’s original idea for Pennsylvania Avenue was that it would connect the legislative branch (Congress) at one end of the avenue with the executive branch (the president’s house) at the other end.

Turn your back on the White House and walk across the plaza to enter:

3  Lafayette Square

This 7-acre public park is known as a gathering spot for protesters. (In pleasant weather, when the White House keeps its doors and windows open, one can actually hear the protesters from inside the White House, as I discovered during a recent White House tour.) In its early days, the park served as an open-air market and as a military encampment. The park is named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman who served under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. But it’s General Andrew Jackson’s statue that centers the park. Erected in 1853, this was America’s first equestrian statue. It’s said that sculptor Clark Mills trained a horse to maintain a reared-up pose so that Mills could study how the horse balanced its weight. Other park statues are dedicated to foreign soldiers who fought in the War for Independence, including Lafayette; Tadeusz Kościuszko, from Poland; Prussian Baron von Steuben; and Frenchman Comte de Rochambeau.

Walk through the park and cross H Street to reach 1525 H St. NW, the site of:

4  St. John’s Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square

St. John’s is known as “the Church of the Presidents” because every president since James Madison has attended at least one service here. If you tour the church, look for pew 54, eight rows from the front, which is the one traditionally reserved for the current president and first family. Other things to notice in this 1816 church, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, are the steeple bell, which was cast by Paul Revere’s son and has been in continuous use since its installation in 1822, and the beautiful stained-glass windows. And be careful not to overlook the Lincoln Pew at the very back of the church, where Lincoln would sit alone for evening services during the Civil War, slipping in after other congregants had arrived and slipping out before they left.

Directly across the street from St. John’s is the Hay-Adams Hotel, which dates back to 1928. Recross H Street to stand in front of 748 Jackson Place NW, the:

5  Decatur House

In addition to St. John’s, Latrobe also designed this Federal-style brick town house in 1818 for Commodore Stephen Decatur, a renowned naval hero in the War of 1812. Decatur and his wife, Susan, established themselves as gracious hosts in the 14 short months they lived here. In March 1820, two days after hosting a ball for President James Monroe’s daughter, Marie, Decatur was killed in a gentleman’s duel by his former mentor, James Barron. Barron blamed Decatur for his 5-year suspension from the Navy, following a court-martial in which Decatur had played an active role. Other distinguished occupants have included Henry Clay and Martin Van Buren, when each was serving as Secretary of State (Clay under Pres. John Quincy Adams, Van Buren under Pres. Andrew Jackson). Decatur House, which includes slave quarters, is open for free tours on a limited basis (www.whitehousehistory.org/events/tour-the-historic-decatur-house). The White House Historical Association gift shop is at the entry, at 1610 H St..

Walk back through Lafayette Square to return to the Pennsylvania Avenue plaza, where you’ll have another chance to admire the:

6  White House

As grand as the White House is, it is at least one-fourth the size that Pierre L’Enfant had in mind when he planned a grand palace to house the President. George Washington and his commission had something else in mind, however, and dismissed L’Enfant, though they kept L’Enfant’s site proposal. An Irishman named James Hoban designed the building, having entered his architectural draft in a contest held by George Washington, beating out 52 other entries. Although Washington picked the winner, he was the only president never to live in the White House, or “President’s Palace,” as it was called before whitewashing brought the name “White House” into use. Construction of the White House took 8 years, beginning in 1792, when its cornerstone was laid. Its facade is made of the same stone used to construct the Capitol.

Turn around and head toward the northwest corner of the plaza, at 17th Street, to reach the:

7  Renwick Gallery

Its esteemed neighbors are the White House and, right next door, the Blair-Lee House, where the White House sends overnighting foreign dignitaries. The Renwick, nevertheless, holds its own. This distinguished redbrick and brownstone structure was the original location for the Corcoran Gallery of Art. James Renwick designed the building (if it reminds you of the Smithsonian Castle on the Mall, it’s because Renwick designed that one, too), which opened in 1874. When the collection outgrew its quarters, the Corcoran moved to its current location in 1897. Although the Renwick’s mission has long focused on decorative arts and crafts from early America to the present, the gallery lately is gaining popularity for its special exhibits of ultra-inventive art by push-the-envelope contemporary artists. Since 1972, the Renwick has operated as an annex of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, eight blocks away in the Penn Quarter. By all means, head inside.

Turn left on 17th Street, where you’ll notice on your left the:

8  Eisenhower Executive Office Building

Old-timers still refer to this ornate building as the “OEOB,” for “Old Executive Office Building”; as it sounds, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building houses the offices of people who work in or with the Executive Office of the President. Originally, the structure was called the State, War, and Navy Building; when its construction was completed in 1888, it was the largest office building in the world. During the Iran-Contra scandal of the Reagan presidency, the OEOB became famous as the site of document shredding by Colonel Oliver North and his secretary Fawn Hall. Open to the public? Nope.

Cross 17th Street, then cross to the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue. See all the sandwich places? You can choose Potbelly’s if you’d like, but I’d rather you try a local favorite, at 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW:

Taylor Gourmet: Italian hoagies—crusty bread filled with luscious sliced meats and cheeses and herbs, or grilled vegetables, if you’re of that persuasion. You won’t see it on the menu, but Taylor’s also makes a sweet $4.99 grilled cheese, a kiddie favorite. (www.taylorgourmet.com; tel. 202/393-0800).

After you’ve satisfied your hunger, walk westward to 18th Street NW, turn left and stroll three blocks to New York Avenue, where you’ll spy the unmistakable:

9  Octagon House

Before you enter, admire its unique shape. Count its sides and you’ll discover that the Octagon is, in fact, a hexagon. Designed by Dr. William Thornton, first architect of the U.S. Capitol, this 1801 building apparently earned its name from interior features, though experts disagree about that. Enter the Octagon to view the round rooms; the central, oval-shaped staircase that curves gracefully to the third level; the hidden doors; and the triangular chambers. Built originally for the wealthy Tayloe family, the Octagon served as a temporary president’s home for James and Dolley Madison after the British torched the White House in 1814. On February 17, 1815, President Madison sat at the circular table in the upstairs circular room and signed the Treaty of Ghent, establishing peace with Great Britain. The house has belonged to the American Institute of Architects since 1899.

Cross New York Avenue and return to 17th Street, where you should turn right and walk to the Corcoran Gallery. 

11  Corcoran Gallery of Art

This gallery, the first art museum in Washington and one of the first in the country, has always had a penchant for playing the wild card. In 1851, gallery founder William Corcoran caused a stir when he displayed artist Hiram Powers’ The Greek Slave, which was the first publicly exhibited, life-size American sculpture depicting a fully nude female figure. (The Greek Slave is currently on view at the National Gallery of Art.) Today the Corcoran Gallery of Art exists, but no longer as an independent entity. The George Washington University owns the building and the resident art school; the National Gallery owns 40% of the art, with the remaining 60% distributed to the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center (here in D.C) and to Smithsonian museums and other institutions. When GWU completes its renovation of this building and the Corcoran Gallery of Art reopens to the public (expected sometime in 2019), the National Gallery will display a selection of its Corcoran holdings in the upstairs galleries. 

Exit to 17th Street and turn right, away from the White House. Follow it down to D Street and turn right, following the signs that lead to the entrance of the:

12  DAR Museum and Period Rooms

The National Headquarters of the Daughters of the American Revolution comprises three joined buildings that take up an entire block. The middle building, Memorial Continental Hall, is the one you’ll enter. Dedicated to the heroes of the American Revolution, the building’s cornerstone was laid in 1902 with the same trowel that George Washington used to lay the cornerstone for the Capitol. At the time, the front of the building faced the White House pasture, where presidential cattle grazed. At any rate, what you’re here for is the DAR Museum, which rotates exhibits of items from its 33,000-object collection, and the 31 period rooms, representing decors from the past, as interpreted by different states. The museum’s collections veer from folk art to decorative arts and include old rocking chairs, ceramics, needlework samplers, and lots of silver. Quilters from far and wide come to admire a large collection of quilts, many of which are kept in glass sleeves that you can pull out from a case for better viewing. Period rooms are viewable from the doorways, a velvet rope preventing your entry. Highlights include the New Jersey Room, which replicates an English Council chamber of the 17th century, with woodwork and furnishings created from the salvaged oak timbers of the British frigate Augusta, which sank during the Revolutionary War; an opulent Victorian Missouri parlor; and New Hampshire’s “Children’s Attic,” filled with 19th-century toys, dolls, and children’s furnishings. You can tour the museum and Period Rooms on your own, but you might consider taking a free docent-led tour if you’re interested in American decorative arts.

Exit the DAR, turning left and continuing along D Street to 18th Street, where you’ll turn left again and follow to 201 18th St. NW, the pretty, Spanish colonial–style building that houses the:

13  Art Museum of the Americas

The AMA showcases the works of contemporary Latin American and Caribbean artists. You’ll be on your own; a visit takes 30 minutes, tops. Not to miss: a stunning loggia whose tall beamed ceiling and wall of deep-blue tiles set in patterns modeled after Aztec and Mayan art constitute a work of art on its own. A series of French (and usually locked) doors leads to a terrace and the museum garden, which separates the museum from the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters that owns it. When you leave the museum, you may notice the nearby sculptures of José Artigus, “Father of the Independence of Uruguay,” and a large representation of liberator Simón Bolívar on horseback.

From 18th Street, head back in the direction of the White House, turning right on C Street, which takes you past the AMA’s garden and the OAS headquarters. Turn left on 17th Street and follow it to E Street. Then cross 17th Street and pick up the section of E Street that takes you between the South Lawn of the White House and the:

14  Ellipse

Did you know that it’s possible to bring a blanket and some food and picnic on the Ellipse? It’s true. That is, it’s true in the nation’s capital sense of the word, meaning that if a White House event requires increased security and the Secret Service tell you to skedaddle, you’d best skedaddle. Otherwise, though, feel free to stroll the grounds. The Ellipse continues to be the site for the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony every December, and a spot near the Zero Milestone monument remains a favored place for shooting photos against the backdrop of the White House. If you’re ready to call it a day, keep walking a few more steps to return to 15th Street NW in the Penn Quarter, and its many options for an end-of-stroll repast.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.