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The White House has 132 rooms and its own restaurant. Here’s what it’s like inside Joe Biden’s new home.

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The White House has 132 rooms and its own restaurant. Here’s what it’s like inside Joe Biden’s new home.



Mark Abadi, Marguerite Ward, Melissa Wiley



Joe Biden standing in front of White House: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will work and live in the White House for the next four years.


President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will work and live in the White House for the next four years.

  • President Joe Biden now lives in the White House, America’s most famous home.
  • The historic home consists of 132 rooms spread across three buildings.
  • Here’s a look inside the White House’s most notable spaces.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Welcome to the White House, the most famous home in America where Joe Biden will live for the next four years.



a large lawn in front of White House: The White House seen from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.


The White House seen from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Washington, DC between the US Treasury and Eisenhower Executive Office Building.



map: Aerial view of the White House taken on September 18, 2009.


Aerial view of the White House taken on September 18, 2009.

The massive building contains three connected but distinct sections: the East Wing, the West Wing, and the Executive Residence in the middle.



Arrows show the locations of the White House's three sections.


Arrows show the locations of the White House’s three sections.

It consists of 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, and 28 fireplaces.



a group of people sitting in chairs in a room: The Bidens (front), Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, in the White House State Dining Room on January 21, 2021.


The Bidens (front), Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff, in the White House State Dining Room on January 21, 2021.

The West Wing contains some of the most notable rooms in the White House.



a view of a house: A Marine stands guard outside of the West Wing of the White House on January 18, 2021.


A Marine stands guard outside of the West Wing of the White House on January 18, 2021.

Among them is the Oval Office. It is the president’s formal workspace, where he meets or takes calls with with heads of state, diplomats, and his staff.



a living room: The Oval Office pictured on the first day of President Joe Biden's administration on January 20, 2021.


The Oval Office pictured on the first day of President Joe Biden’s administration on January 20, 2021.

The Oval Office is home to the famous Resolute Desk, which dates back to the 1800s and weighs over 1,000 pounds.



a close up of a church: Close-up of the Resolute Desk with Former President Trump in the background.


Close-up of the Resolute Desk with Former President Trump in the background.

There are also several paintings, busts, and other decorations. Presidents decorate the office to their taste.



a cat sitting on top of a building: A sculpted bust of Dr. Martine Luther King, Jr. sits in President Joe Biden's redesigned Oval Office.


A sculpted bust of Dr. Martine Luther King, Jr. sits in President Joe Biden’s redesigned Oval Office.

Right outside the Oval Office is the White House Rose Garden, which is used for special ceremonies and to greet distinguished guests.



a close up of a flower garden in front of a house: The White House Rose Garden pictured on August 22, 2020.


The White House Rose Garden pictured on August 22, 2020.

The West Colonnade walkway, also referred to as the “45-second commute” by insiders, leads from the Oval Office to the Rose Garden and to the official residence.



Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud in a suit standing in front of a building: Then-President Donald Trump walks with the Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, along the West Colonnade.


Then-President Donald Trump walks with the Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, along the West Colonnade.

The Cabinet Room is where the president meets with his ministers. It’s customary for the president to sit near the centre of the table.



a group of people sitting at a table in front of a crowd: Then-President Donald Trump presides over a meeting members of Congress in the Cabinet Room on January 9, 2018.


Then-President Donald Trump presides over a meeting members of Congress in the Cabinet Room on January 9, 2018.

In the basement is the Situation Room, a 5,000 square-foot complex where the president receives intelligence and crisis support. It is run by staff from the National Security Council.



Donald Trump et al. sitting at a table: Then-President Donald Trump meets with members of his cabinet on September 26, 2017, in the Situation Room.


Then-President Donald Trump meets with members of his cabinet on September 26, 2017, in the Situation Room.

A few rooms over, the US Navy operates a restaurant known as the Navy Mess and Ward Room.



a dining room table: The Mess dining facility is run by the US Navy.


The Mess dining facility is run by the US Navy.

One of the West Wing’s most photographed rooms is the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room where the White House press secretary gives briefings to the news media.



Jen Psaki et al. standing in a room: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki conducts her first news conference of the Biden Administration in the Brady Press Briefing Room on January 20, 2021.


White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki conducts her first news conference of the Biden Administration in the Brady Press Briefing Room on January 20, 2021.

Another famous room is the Roosevelt Room. The meeting space is often used to announce appointments and nominations of new staff members. It features paintings of both Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt.



a living room filled with furniture and a fireplace: The Roosevelt Room pictured on August 22, 2017.


The Roosevelt Room pictured on August 22, 2017.

The office of the vice president is also located in the West Wing.



a group of people sitting at a table: Then-Vice President Joe Biden meets with senior advisors and administration officials in his West Wing office at the White House on January 4, 2013.


Then-Vice President Joe Biden meets with senior advisors and administration officials in his West Wing office at the White House on January 4, 2013.

The Executive Residence building is the White House’s largest and is where the First Family lives and sleeps.



a statue in front of a building: The South Portico of the Executive Residence on March 20, 2009.


The South Portico of the Executive Residence on March 20, 2009.

The first floor of the residence contains the Blue Room. The oval-shaped room, which the president uses to formally receive guests, boasts blue upholstery, blue curtains, and blue carpet. It has stayed the same colour since 1837.



Then-President Donald Trump speaks during an Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on January 22, 2017.


Then-President Donald Trump speaks during an Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on January 22, 2017.

Also on the first floor is the Red Room, which serves as a parlor or sitting room for the president and dignitaries.



a living room with a christmas tree: The Red Room decorated for the holidays.


The Red Room decorated for the holidays.

The East Room is the largest room in the Executive Residence. It is used for speeches, ceremonies, concerts, receptions, and dances.



a group of people sitting in front of a crowd: Then-President Donald Trump speaks to a group of mayors in the East Room on January 24, 2018 in Washington, DC.


Then-President Donald Trump speaks to a group of mayors in the East Room on January 24, 2018 in Washington, DC.

A second-floor balcony commissioned by Former President Truman overlooks the South Lawn.



a group of people standing in front of a building: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden appear on the Truman Balcony with family members on January 20, 2021.


President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden appear on the Truman Balcony with family members on January 20, 2021.

The East Wing next door is home to the Office of the First Lady and White House Private Secretary.



a person standing next to a fireplace in a living room: Then-First Lady Laura Bush takes Michelle Obama for a private tour of the artwork in the East Wing on January 20, 2009.


Then-First Lady Laura Bush takes Michelle Obama for a private tour of the artwork in the East Wing on January 20, 2009.

It also contains the family theatre, where presidents and their families can see any movie they want at any time of the day — even before they come out in theatres.



a group of people in a room: Then-President Barack Obama welcomes service members and their families to a screening of Men in Black 3 in the Family Theatre on May 25, 2012.


Then-President Barack Obama welcomes service members and their families to a screening of Men in Black 3 in the Family Theatre on May 25, 2012.

Beneath the East Wing is one of the White House bunkers, where White House officials sheltered during 9/11.



a group of people sitting at a table with wine glasses: The South Portico of the Executive Residence on March 20, 2009.


The South Portico of the Executive Residence on March 20, 2009.

Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an article originally written by Amanda Macias.


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