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0 / 37 Fotos
Moving in takes only six hours - A staff of nearly 100 ushers and movers are given only six hours to move new presidents in, and they get the same amount of time to move old presidents out, meaning there is absolutely no downtime.
© Getty Images
1 / 37 Fotos
It’s chaos when a new President arrives - Not only do they have to move them in within six hours, the staff needs to have a stock of the First Family's food choices, prepare for their particular needs, and get the household under control.
© Getty Images
2 / 37 Fotos
The Wi-Fi is spotty - In 2016, the Obamas told CBS that there are a lot of Wi-Fi "dead spots," which is concerning for the one building that should be the most connected!
© Getty Images
3 / 37 Fotos
First kids can hold their prom in the White House - Susan Ford threw the first (and only, as of yet) White House prom in 1975. It sure beats the old gymnasium!
© Public Domain
4 / 37 Fotos
The President has to pay for all their own food and expenses - While it’s commonly believed that the duty falls on taxpayers, the First Family is billed every month for food, dry cleaning, toothpaste, and so forth. Maybe that’s why they have a garden!
© Getty Images
5 / 37 Fotos
There’s a code for when the President and First Lady are getting intimate - The code phrase is: "They are discussing the Bosnian problem." Very serious and urgent business that must be tended to, of course.
© Getty Images
6 / 37 Fotos
They have a dentist in the basement - For that presidential smile! The dental office is part of a strip mall that also features a flower shop, chocolate shop, carpenter's shop, and engineer's shop.
© Shutterstock
7 / 37 Fotos
They bicker over the thermostat too - The Hawaii-born Barack Obama was criticized for cranking up the temperatures in the Oval Office. Living in the White House might not be as different as you think.
© Getty Images
8 / 37 Fotos
There’s no private entrance or exit to the residence - You can't sneak away! Another downside to living in what is essentially a museum is that staff and tourists have access to the Diplomatic Room right near the living quarters, so the First Family often has to duck out of sight.
© Getty Images
9 / 37 Fotos
Carpet stains aren't cleaned promptly, just like in your own home - The Obama family biographer Jodi Kantor revealed that when the former president moved in, there were still stains on the carpet from the Bush cats.
© Getty Images
10 / 37 Fotos
You can only drink American wine
- While the First Family can specially order almost anything they desire, the only wine served in the White House comes from American-grown grapes.
© Getty Images
11 / 37 Fotos
The West Wing is infested with mice - In 2017, White House officials requested pest control to remove the mice from the Situation Room.
© Getty Images
12 / 37 Fotos
The First Family can’t open the windows - It makes sense from a security standpoint, but never being able to feel the fresh breeze in the summer seems quite unpleasant.
© Public Domain
13 / 37 Fotos
You can watch movies before everyone else - The White House Family Theater gets films sent straight from Hollywood at any time day or night, and often before the films' public release!
© Getty Images
14 / 37 Fotos
The White House honey comes from an on-site beehive - Built in 2009, the beehive hosts thousands of First Bees on the White House lawn and are taken care of by the official beekeeper.
© Shutterstock
15 / 37 Fotos
First Kids can sneak onto the roof - Jenna Bush famously managed to sneak a first kiss with her now-husband on the scenic rooftop of the White House.
© Getty Images
16 / 37 Fotos
First Kids can sneak onto the roof - Steve Ford brought a stereo onto the roof with a friend on his first night in 1974, and they listened to Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven.' It doesn't get cooler than that.
© Public Domain
17 / 37 Fotos
They serve hipster-approved coffee - The president can enjoy a trendy pour-over coffee from the now-famous Chemex brand glass brewing device. Obama's hip administration managed to snag 50 of them.
© Shutterstock
18 / 37 Fotos
Presidents can get nightly massages - Former President Lyndon B. Johnson enjoyed nightly rubdowns and would often fall asleep on the table, making his ushers—who could only go off-duty when the President went to bed—stay up all night.
© Public Domain
19 / 37 Fotos
There’s a putting green right outside the Oval Office - Bill Clinton installed it in 1995, and now presidents can step outside to perfect their putt in between press conferences and national crises.
© Getty Images
20 / 37 Fotos
There is no official dog poop picker upper - The Obama and Bush families loved taking their pups out for walks. A president might’ve been picking up poop at the same time as you!
© Getty Images
21 / 37 Fotos
Someone will record your favorite shows for you - Lady Bird Johnson was a big 'Gunsmoke' fan, but state dinners often interfered with her viewing, so the White House Communications Agency taped it for her.
© Public Domain
22 / 37 Fotos
First Kids still have to do chores - Even though they have attendants at their beck and call, parents like Michelle Obama ensured their children continue cleaning up after themselves.
© Getty Images
23 / 37 Fotos
The banisters are for sliding - Unofficially, at least. Sliding down the banisters seems to be a rite of passage for First Kids, including the Bush twins, the Obama kids, and Teddy Roosevelt's six children.
© Public Domain
24 / 37 Fotos
You can still cook your own food - The First Family has a kitchen of their own in their living quarters, and Hillary Clinton was known to have enjoyed making breakfast for her daughter to help create a sense of normalcy.
© Getty Images
25 / 37 Fotos
You don’t carry cash on you - George H.W. Bush and Reagan never carried cash, and there’s no need for it since everything just gets added to a tab.
© Getty Images
26 / 37 Fotos
You might run into a ghost or two - Jenna Bush was convinced the White House was haunted, claiming that "millions of ghosts" roamed the mansion and "opera noises" came from the fireplace.
© Getty Images
27 / 37 Fotos
Presidents can access their predecessors' old things - A storage facility in the White House is accessible to each current president, filled with things like treasured artworks (think Georgia O'Keeffe and Norman Rockwell paintings), gifts from dignitaries, antiques, and a four-poster bed.
© Public Domain
28 / 37 Fotos
There’s no original furniture - In 1814, British forces burned the White House down, and only a single painting of George Washington was saved, thanks to First Lady Dolley Madison.
© Public Domain
29 / 37 Fotos
Presidents can completely redecorate the Oval Office - Though it seems iconic and untouchable, every president is allowed to change things up. Eisenhower and Carter left things alone, however, and Reagan waited until his second term just to change the rug!
© Getty Images
30 / 37 Fotos
It’s amazing for hide-and-go-seek - The White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
© Getty Images
31 / 37 Fotos
You can go jogging on the premises - Bill Clinton installed the famous White House jogging track so that he could lose some weight.
© Public Domain
32 / 37 Fotos
First Kids can decorate however they want - Imagine your bedroom wall littered with boy band posters and painted light purple. Now imagine that in the White House!
© iStock
33 / 37 Fotos
There’s a pool! - An indoor pool was added by Roosevelt in 1933, and Ford built one outside in 1975. Unfortunately, Nixon transformed the indoor pool into the press briefing room.
© Public Domain
34 / 37 Fotos
You can have weird pets - The White House has been home to some unusual pets, like former president Calvin Coolidge's raccoons and pygmy hippopotamuses.
© iStock
35 / 37 Fotos
You might hate it
- Not every president enjoyed living in the big house, particularly Harry Truman who called it a "glamorous prison" and "the great white jail." See also: The US has not been involved in wars for only 6% of its existence?
© Getty Images
36 / 37 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 37 Fotos
Moving in takes only six hours - A staff of nearly 100 ushers and movers are given only six hours to move new presidents in, and they get the same amount of time to move old presidents out, meaning there is absolutely no downtime.
© Getty Images
1 / 37 Fotos
It’s chaos when a new President arrives - Not only do they have to move them in within six hours, the staff needs to have a stock of the First Family's food choices, prepare for their particular needs, and get the household under control.
© Getty Images
2 / 37 Fotos
The Wi-Fi is spotty - In 2016, the Obamas told CBS that there are a lot of Wi-Fi "dead spots," which is concerning for the one building that should be the most connected!
© Getty Images
3 / 37 Fotos
First kids can hold their prom in the White House - Susan Ford threw the first (and only, as of yet) White House prom in 1975. It sure beats the old gymnasium!
© Public Domain
4 / 37 Fotos
The President has to pay for all their own food and expenses - While it’s commonly believed that the duty falls on taxpayers, the First Family is billed every month for food, dry cleaning, toothpaste, and so forth. Maybe that’s why they have a garden!
© Getty Images
5 / 37 Fotos
There’s a code for when the President and First Lady are getting intimate - The code phrase is: "They are discussing the Bosnian problem." Very serious and urgent business that must be tended to, of course.
© Getty Images
6 / 37 Fotos
They have a dentist in the basement - For that presidential smile! The dental office is part of a strip mall that also features a flower shop, chocolate shop, carpenter's shop, and engineer's shop.
© Shutterstock
7 / 37 Fotos
They bicker over the thermostat too - The Hawaii-born Barack Obama was criticized for cranking up the temperatures in the Oval Office. Living in the White House might not be as different as you think.
© Getty Images
8 / 37 Fotos
There’s no private entrance or exit to the residence - You can't sneak away! Another downside to living in what is essentially a museum is that staff and tourists have access to the Diplomatic Room right near the living quarters, so the First Family often has to duck out of sight.
© Getty Images
9 / 37 Fotos
Carpet stains aren't cleaned promptly, just like in your own home - The Obama family biographer Jodi Kantor revealed that when the former president moved in, there were still stains on the carpet from the Bush cats.
© Getty Images
10 / 37 Fotos
You can only drink American wine
- While the First Family can specially order almost anything they desire, the only wine served in the White House comes from American-grown grapes.
© Getty Images
11 / 37 Fotos
The West Wing is infested with mice - In 2017, White House officials requested pest control to remove the mice from the Situation Room.
© Getty Images
12 / 37 Fotos
The First Family can’t open the windows - It makes sense from a security standpoint, but never being able to feel the fresh breeze in the summer seems quite unpleasant.
© Public Domain
13 / 37 Fotos
You can watch movies before everyone else - The White House Family Theater gets films sent straight from Hollywood at any time day or night, and often before the films' public release!
© Getty Images
14 / 37 Fotos
The White House honey comes from an on-site beehive - Built in 2009, the beehive hosts thousands of First Bees on the White House lawn and are taken care of by the official beekeeper.
© Shutterstock
15 / 37 Fotos
First Kids can sneak onto the roof - Jenna Bush famously managed to sneak a first kiss with her now-husband on the scenic rooftop of the White House.
© Getty Images
16 / 37 Fotos
First Kids can sneak onto the roof - Steve Ford brought a stereo onto the roof with a friend on his first night in 1974, and they listened to Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven.' It doesn't get cooler than that.
© Public Domain
17 / 37 Fotos
They serve hipster-approved coffee - The president can enjoy a trendy pour-over coffee from the now-famous Chemex brand glass brewing device. Obama's hip administration managed to snag 50 of them.
© Shutterstock
18 / 37 Fotos
Presidents can get nightly massages - Former President Lyndon B. Johnson enjoyed nightly rubdowns and would often fall asleep on the table, making his ushers—who could only go off-duty when the President went to bed—stay up all night.
© Public Domain
19 / 37 Fotos
There’s a putting green right outside the Oval Office - Bill Clinton installed it in 1995, and now presidents can step outside to perfect their putt in between press conferences and national crises.
© Getty Images
20 / 37 Fotos
There is no official dog poop picker upper - The Obama and Bush families loved taking their pups out for walks. A president might’ve been picking up poop at the same time as you!
© Getty Images
21 / 37 Fotos
Someone will record your favorite shows for you - Lady Bird Johnson was a big 'Gunsmoke' fan, but state dinners often interfered with her viewing, so the White House Communications Agency taped it for her.
© Public Domain
22 / 37 Fotos
First Kids still have to do chores - Even though they have attendants at their beck and call, parents like Michelle Obama ensured their children continue cleaning up after themselves.
© Getty Images
23 / 37 Fotos
The banisters are for sliding - Unofficially, at least. Sliding down the banisters seems to be a rite of passage for First Kids, including the Bush twins, the Obama kids, and Teddy Roosevelt's six children.
© Public Domain
24 / 37 Fotos
You can still cook your own food - The First Family has a kitchen of their own in their living quarters, and Hillary Clinton was known to have enjoyed making breakfast for her daughter to help create a sense of normalcy.
© Getty Images
25 / 37 Fotos
You don’t carry cash on you - George H.W. Bush and Reagan never carried cash, and there’s no need for it since everything just gets added to a tab.
© Getty Images
26 / 37 Fotos
You might run into a ghost or two - Jenna Bush was convinced the White House was haunted, claiming that "millions of ghosts" roamed the mansion and "opera noises" came from the fireplace.
© Getty Images
27 / 37 Fotos
Presidents can access their predecessors' old things - A storage facility in the White House is accessible to each current president, filled with things like treasured artworks (think Georgia O'Keeffe and Norman Rockwell paintings), gifts from dignitaries, antiques, and a four-poster bed.
© Public Domain
28 / 37 Fotos
There’s no original furniture - In 1814, British forces burned the White House down, and only a single painting of George Washington was saved, thanks to First Lady Dolley Madison.
© Public Domain
29 / 37 Fotos
Presidents can completely redecorate the Oval Office - Though it seems iconic and untouchable, every president is allowed to change things up. Eisenhower and Carter left things alone, however, and Reagan waited until his second term just to change the rug!
© Getty Images
30 / 37 Fotos
It’s amazing for hide-and-go-seek - The White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
© Getty Images
31 / 37 Fotos
You can go jogging on the premises - Bill Clinton installed the famous White House jogging track so that he could lose some weight.
© Public Domain
32 / 37 Fotos
First Kids can decorate however they want - Imagine your bedroom wall littered with boy band posters and painted light purple. Now imagine that in the White House!
© iStock
33 / 37 Fotos
There’s a pool! - An indoor pool was added by Roosevelt in 1933, and Ford built one outside in 1975. Unfortunately, Nixon transformed the indoor pool into the press briefing room.
© Public Domain
34 / 37 Fotos
You can have weird pets - The White House has been home to some unusual pets, like former president Calvin Coolidge's raccoons and pygmy hippopotamuses.
© iStock
35 / 37 Fotos
You might hate it
- Not every president enjoyed living in the big house, particularly Harry Truman who called it a "glamorous prison" and "the great white jail." See also: The US has not been involved in wars for only 6% of its existence?
© Getty Images
36 / 37 Fotos
Life in the White House
Fascinating little-known facts
© Getty Images
The lives of American presidents are often elusive to the public, but don’t you want to know what goes on in the house where the country’s biggest historic decisions are made? Check out this gallery to find out the lesser-known quirks and perks of living in America's most prestigious home.
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