White House tours are back just in time for the holidays : NPR

White House tours will resume Tuesday, just in time for the holidays—and on a much smaller scale. footprint than before the demolition of the East Wing this year.

Touring was suspended for three months due to President Trump's decision to build an estimated $300 million ballroom, which resulted in the removal of the East Wing.

Images of the demolition sparked controversy and outrage, with some suggesting that excavators breaking into the East Wing was a metaphor for Trump's approach to government since returning to office. Survey shows most Americans oppose this project.

In past years, tours of the White House began in the East Wing, which was filled with decorations during the holidays, transporting visitors to a winter wonderland.

On Monday morning, reporters got their first look at the new, shortened tour, as well as a preview of the decorations, which the White House said were “personally selected by Ms. Trump to honor the heart of America.”

There are 75 wreaths with red bows, 51 Christmas trees, more than 700 feet of garland, more than 2,000 strands of lights, more than 25,000 feet of ribbon and 2,800 gold stars, according to the White House.

First Lady Melania Trump and her team had much less real estate to work with as they planned her “Home Is Where the Heart Is” themed decorations. Tours now begin and end in the North Portico of the White House and include stops in the East Room, Blue Room, Green Room, Red Room and State Dining Room. The east wing and basement areas, such as the Map Room, which were previously decorated, are no longer part of the public tour route. A semi-permanent screening facility has been erected on the North Lawn for guest screening.

The official White House Christmas tree is the centerpiece of the Blue Room. Measuring 18 feet tall, it features gold stars and white globes representing all 56 states and U.S. territories. The ornaments were 3D printed using artificial intelligence, which helped create the design, which features the state bird and state flower. The Christmas tree was decorated by Gold Star families who had lost a loved one as a result of military service.

“The home is made safe because of the Gold Star families who have sacrificed for our country, no matter where they are in the world,” said Nicholas Clemens, the first lady's communications director and unofficial tour guide during the news conferences.

According to the White House decorations description, the Green Room “celebrates family fun” and features large LEGO portraits of President George Washington and Trump. Each portrait contains 6,000 Lego bricks.

“They were put together by volunteers,” Clemens said. He described a scene straight out of a movie as dozens of volunteer decorators from across the country climbed ladders, carried boxes of garlands and tied scores of bows to decorate the halls and prepare them for the resumption of public tours.

The Red Room features more than 10,000 blue butterflies designed to celebrate young people, “including young people who have been through the foster care system and who are still wondering where home is and what that might mean,” Clemens said. In addition to the butterflies, the ornaments on the Christmas tree read “Be the Best” and the ribbon running through the branches reads “Contributing to the Future,” two of the first lady's initiatives.

The East Room is decorated in honor of America's 250th anniversary next year, showcasing “the patriotic colors of our flag and some of our national symbols,” according to the White House.

A large golden curtain covers what Trump called the “tear down wall” that will lead to the enormous ballroom he plans to build on the site of the East Wing. “It looks pretty good right now, but it will look a lot better after a while,” Trump said last month.

As always, the highlight of the State Dining Room is the gingerbread White House. This one shows the White House as seen from the South Lawn, with a giant American flag made of sugar, mirroring the massive new flagpoles Trump added earlier this year. The second floor of the gingerbread South Portico is open so viewers can see the Yellow Oval, a room in the private residence where the first families gather.

“You'll be able to look inside and see the current design…of the Yellow Oval as it's currently designed for the Trumps,” Clemens said. “This way you can see in real time what it looks like.”

In the excursion program, the confectionery feat is described in numbers. The Gingerbread White House contains 120 pounds of gingerbread dough, 100 pounds of pastille dough, 10 pounds of chocolate, and 5 pounds of royal icing. With the exception of a few small lights, “everything else is made from stuff you can eat,” Clemens said.

Asked about the smaller tour this year and Trump's renovations, Clemens declined to comment.

While demolition of the East Room is the most high-profile project since Trump returned to office, the president has been busy remodeling, making changes to the White House at a breakneck pace. The rose garden has been transformed into a patio surrounded by flowers, modeled after the outdoor space at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. The Oval Office is now gilded from floor to ceiling. And Lincoln's bathroom in the residence also received a complete overhaul with lots of marble.

Tour tickets can be requested through members of Congress who receive appropriations for their constituents.