1

The numbers behind it

Image: Melo Liu

One could say the White House is a home, but a more accurate description would be "small city." With 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and six levels, it accommodates everyone from the First Family to visiting dignitaries.

As if that wasn’t enough in terms of numbers, add 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, seven staircases, and three elevators, and you’ve got a place that’s as grand as it is functional. The only number left to wonder about is how many people it takes to clean it! With so much going on, it’s safe to say the White House is always buzzing.

2

From "President’s House" to "The White House"

Image: Saul Rodriguez

Did you know the White House wasn’t always called that? Over the years, it’s been referred to as the "President’s Palace," the "President’s House," and the "Executive Mansion."

But it wasn’t until 1901 that President Theodore Roosevelt made "The White House" the official name. The change reflected a more democratic image, distancing the building from European-style palaces.

3

6,000 visitors a day: A popular destination

Image: Saul Rodriguez

You have probably toured the White House at least once, haven’t you? Well, on any given day, the White House welcomes around 6,000 visitors.

From local and foreign tourists on a guided tour, diplomats, to school groups, the building sees a steady stream of guests. That’s a lot of handshakes, selfies, and security checks! More than power and politics, the charm of the White House lies in the national history it holds.

4

Presidential firsts: Planes, photos, and more

Image: Jainam Sheth

Every president brings something new to the White House, but some have achieved truly historic "firsts."

For example, John Tyler was the first to have his photograph taken. Theodore Roosevelt rode in the first presidential car and became the first president to travel abroad, to Panama. Franklin Roosevelt added air travel to the mix as the first president to fly.

You may be wondering who the first president to live there was, but we’ll cover that fact later in this article!

5

A kitchen built for a crowd

Image: Odiseo Castrejon

We may not know about the cleaning crew, but we do have some facts about the chefs!

There are five full-time chefs in the White House, so the kitchen is ready for any occasion. It can serve dinner to 140 guests or hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000 people at a time. From state dinners to casual family meals, the kitchen staff handles it all with finesse. Five stars for them, please!

6

Painting the town (or the House) White

Image: Steve Johnson

Keeping the White House pristine is no small task: Can you guess how much paint it takes to cover it? Here’s the answer: It takes a whopping 570 gallons of paint to cover its iconic exterior. This monumental paint job ensures the building remains the picture of elegance and charm. Over the years, this white coat has become a symbol of the presidency itself. Who knew painting could carry so much historical weight? Fun fact: ours is not the only presidential home with a trademark color!

7

Fun and games at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Image: Jay Wennington

When you think of the Executive Mansion, you probably picture people in suits going from one point to another, solving national and international matters, right? Well, that may be true, but the White House isn’t all business; there are some recreational rooms, too.

Residents (which range from the presidential family to diplomats to staff) enjoy a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, billiard room, and even a bowling lane. Talk about a house with some serious amenities, huh?

8

George Washington never slept here

Image: Kenny Eliason

While George Washington oversaw the creation of the White House, he never got to live in it. The mansion wasn’t completed until 1800, a year after Washington’s death.

So, to answer the question from the "presidential firsts" section, John Adams became the first president to move in, and it’s been the home of every president since. Washington’s influence is still felt, but don’t expect to see his ghost wandering the halls.

9

The White House has survived two fires

Image: Cullan Smith

Well, the title pretty much covers it, right? The White House has faced fire twice in its history.

In 1814, British forces burned it during the War of 1812, though some exterior walls and the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington were saved. Then, on Christmas Eve in 1929, a chimney flue sparked a blaze that gutted parts of the West Wing. President Herbert Hoover even directed firefighting efforts during the chaos. Now, this is proof of its true Americanness: It only came back stronger and taller!

10

Teddy Roosevelt built the West Wing

Image: Srikanta H. U

Teddy Roosevelt is the man behind the West Wing. In 1902, he expanded the White House by adding this now-famous section to house presidential offices.

The project replaced some old conservatories and introduced the colonnaded gallery that connects it to the main residence. Later presidents, like Taft and Franklin Roosevelt, expanded the West Wing further, but it all started with Teddy’s vision. Today, the West Wing is the spinal cord of the presidency as it holds the Oval Office.

1

Clint Eastwood: Jazz piano

Clint Eastwood has spent many decades playing the toughest, coolest characters in Hollywood—the Man with No Name, Dirty Harry—men of few words and steely nerves. So it might come as a surprise that he has always had a deeply sensitive, artistic side rooted in jazz piano. He started playing as a teenager in Oakland, California, influenced by the bebop era.

Eastwood has composed music for several of his own films and even directed Bird (1988) , a biographical film about jazz legend Charlie Parker. He plays piano regularly to this day and has spoken about jazz as a lifelong love.

2

Albert Einstein: Sailing

You might expect Albert Einstein's hobby to involve something complicated: equations on a chalkboard, perhaps, or building gadgets in a laboratory. Instead, the man who gave us the theory of relativity loved nothing more than to take a small sailboat out on a lake and just… drift. No engine. No motor. Just the wind.

Einstein was, by all accounts, a mediocre sailor who didn't particularly worry about being good at it. He called his sailboat Tümmler (German for "porpoise") and used those quiet hours on the water to think. He often said that some of his best ideas came to him while sailing .

3

Abraham Lincoln: Wrestling

Before he was Honest Abe, Lincoln was just a tall, lanky young man from Illinois with remarkably long arms and a low center of gravity—which, as it turns out, makes you a pretty formidable wrestler. He took up the sport as a young man and quickly developed a reputation in his community as someone you really didn't want to tangle with.

Lincoln compiled an outstanding record, with reportedly one defeat in roughly 300 matches. He was so good that he was eventually honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame —yes, that's a real place, and yes, Abraham Lincoln is in it.

4

Meryl Streep: Knitting

Meryl Streep is widely considered the greatest actress of her generation, with a record 21 Oscar nominations to date. She's played everything from a Nazi commandant's mistress to Margaret Thatcher. And between takes on set, she knits.

She's said in interviews that knitting helps her stay grounded and present , even in the middle of emotionally demanding shoots. It gives her hands something to do while her mind processes a role. There's also something wonderfully ironic about the most decorated actress in Hollywood finding her peace in something so delightfully ordinary.

5

Tom Hanks: Typewriter collecting

Tom Hanks has won two Oscars, starred in some of the most beloved films in American history, and also owns—by his own estimate—more than 250 typewriters . He started collecting them in the early 1980s when he came across an old machine at a second-hand shop and was instantly hooked by the sound and feel of the keys.

Hanks became such a devoted enthusiast that he wrote an entire book about it: Uncommon Type, a collection of short stories where a typewriter appears in every single tale. He's also said he writes all his personal correspondence by hand or on a typewriter.

6

Steve Martin: Banjo playing

Steve Martin built his career on comedy: the arrow through the head, the wild and crazy guy, the absurdist humor that made him a superstar in the 1970s and '80s. But long before the standup, film, and TV career, there was the banjo. He started learning as a teenager while working at Disneyland, drawn in by the bluegrass musicians performing there.

He never stopped playing. Martin has released multiple bluegrass albums, toured with accomplished musicians, and won a Grammy for his 2009 album The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo . For him, it was never a joke or a gimmick: the banjo is the real deal, and he plays it with genuine heart.

7

Jimmy Carter: Woodworking

Jimmy Carter didn't pick up woodworking as a retirement hobby: he learned it out of necessity. Growing up on a Georgia farm during the Great Depression, his father taught him to be handy with just about everything. He kept at it through shop class and Future Farmers of America, and even built furniture for his own home during his Navy years.

Carter donated many of his handmade pieces to charity auctions benefiting Habitat for Humanity , a cause he championed throughout his post-presidential life. He even joked that a miniature of the White House he once built had nothing to do with his ambitions — though history would suggest otherwise.

8

Theodore Roosevelt: Boxing and judo

Teddy Roosevelt didn't exactly need a tough-guy reputation boost: the man charged up San Juan Hill, for crying out loud. But even as President of the United States, he kept up a regular boxing practice right inside the White House. He'd spar with aides and military officers, seeing it as a way to stay sharp, both mentally and physically.

That hobby came with a real price, though. In 1908, during one sparring session while in office, a punch left him blind in his left eye, a fact he kept secret for years. He later switched to judo, eventually earning a brown belt.

9

Condoleezza Rice: Competitive figure skating

Condoleezza Rice served as National Security Advisor and then Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, two of the most demanding jobs in the world. She's also a trained classical pianist. But here's the one that really catches people off guard: she was a competitive figure skater as a young girl growing up in Birmingham, Alabama.

Rice started skating as a child and trained seriously enough to compete. She has spoken about how the discipline required in skating —the repetition, the commitment, the ability to get up after you fall— shaped the way she approached everything else in her life . From the ice rink to the world stage, the mindset, it turns out, was always the same.

10

George W. Bush: Painting

After leaving the White House in 2009, George W. Bush picked up a paintbrush, and nobody was more surprised than he was by how much he loved it. He started with his dogs and landscapes, quietly teaching himself the basics of oil painting with the help of online tutorials and books.

He eventually moved on to portraits of world leaders, veterans, and immigrants, and held gallery showings of his work . Critics who expected something amateurish were genuinely taken aback by the results. For instance, Washington Post journalist Karen Tumulty summed up the reaction of many when she admitted on social media that Bush's paintings were, surprisingly, kind of edgy.

1

Open the windows

Image: Braden Burson

Yes, you read that right. A sitting US president can’t just get up and open the windows of the White House to enjoy a beautiful day. While there’s no law against it, the protocols state that any action that could pose a security risk to the commander-in-chief must be carefully reviewed and approved by the staff.

2

Go to the cinema

Image: Krists Luhaers

Going to the movies is one of life’s simple pleasures. Unfortunately, if you’re the president, it’s not one of your options. While it’s not officially forbidden, crowded and dark spaces like movie theaters represent serious security risks. Luckily, the White House has its own private screening room, so the president and his family can still enjoy movie night at home.

3

Attend their children’s events

Image: Sincerely Media

You’ll rarely see a president at their kids’ school plays or sporting events. And it’s not because they’re bad parents; it’s because regulations discourage them from attending. With so many people, children, and things happening at the same time, keeping the commander-in-chief safe in those settings is nearly impossible.

4

Buy their own tech devices

Image: appshunter.io

When a new iPhone hits the market, many rush to buy it, but presidents can’t make this decision on their own. Any electronic device, like a smartphone or tablet, could be vulnerable to hacking or espionage. So while presidents can use cell phones, theirs must be secure, vetted, and government-approved.

5

Block people on social media

Image: Julian

And that isn’t the only restriction on cell phones. Presidents who use their social media accounts for official communications are advised not to block people in their official POTUS account, since doing so could be seen as suppressing free speech. On the other hand, they can block users on personal accounts.

6

Go out alone

Image: Warren K. Leffler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The US president can’t just grab the keys and head out for a walk. Sure, strolls around the White House gardens are fine, but stepping beyond the gates is a different story. Anytime the president leaves the White House, even for a quick walk around the block, the Secret Service must secure the area, plan the route, and provide constant protection. Sounds a little overwhelming, right? But when you’re the commander in chief, safety always comes first!

7

Drive

Image: Jerry Kavan

Ever felt the urge to hop in your car and drive somewhere spontaneously? Well, if you’re the President of the United States, that’s off-limits. Security measures strongly recommend that presidents must always travel in a secure vehicle with a driver and a full security detail. In fact, the last president known to drive alone on the open road was Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969).

8

Fly on commercial airlines

Image: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Just as security protocols strongly discourage the president from driving alone on open roads, flying on commercial airlines is also off-limits. Imagine being hundreds of feet in the air, locked in with strangers; it could be extremely unsafe when you’re the president of the United States. Implementing proper security measures would be too complicated, and with a large presidential staff, there might not even be enough seats for everyone.

9

Accept expensive gifts

Image: Ayana Ames

Presidents receive many, many letters and gifts from the public, but not all of them can be accepted. The US Constitution and federal law require presidents to decline overly expensive gifts, whether they come from foreign leaders or everyday citizens, to prevent any appearance of conflict of interest or corruption.

10

Discard official mail

Image: Wolfgang Vrede

Although it may seem like a harmless, ordinary task, the president can’t just start cleaning out their office or email inbox. All presidential correspondence, physical or digital (even spam!), is considered official government property. It must be processed or archived according to federal records regulations, and discarding anything requires a strict review process.