White House to resume tours for Christmas season after construction pause

White House tours will resume along an “updated route” in December after a multimonth pause for the construction of President Trump’s ballroom.

Public tours will resume on Dec. 2, “offering guests the opportunity to experience the history and beauty of the People’s House,” the White House said Friday.

Christmas decorations curated by first lady Melania Trump will feature prominently in December tours on the State Floor. 

“Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the beloved annual tradition that transforms the White House into a festive reflection of the spirit, warmth, faith and hope of the holiday season,” the White House said.

The tour pause started in August.

Mr. Trump is building a massive ballroom, saying the complex needs a physical structure to host diplomatic events and parties. 

The project comes with the demolition of the East Wing and will cost about $300 million. 

The administration is relying on private donations, not tax dollars, to fund the project, though Democrats are investigating the list of donors to see if anyone gains favors.

White House tours are arranged through congressional offices, which can start submitting requests again on Monday.

Tour availability for December will open 30 days before each potential date.

Tour openings for January will be made available to congressional offices sometime in December, according to the White House.

The White House is a major attraction in Washington alongside places such as the U.S. Capitol and monuments along the National Mall.

Roughly 10,000 people visited the White House each week during the final year of the Biden presidency.

Mr. Trump is using his second term to revamp the White House, outside and in.

He installed two large flagpoles on the north and south sides of the grounds and decked out the Oval Office in historic portraits and gold accents.

Mr. Trump paved a portion of the Rose Garden, saying the lawn got too soggy for public events.

On Friday, the president said he renovated the Lincoln Bathroom inside the White House.

He said a 1940s Art Deco renovation in light green did not suit the “Lincoln era,” so he redid it in black and white Statuary marble.

“This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.