Collection A Tour of the White House
In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy resolved to make the White House a “living museum” by restoring the historic integrity of the...
Have you ever wondered...
Does the White House have a pool?
The White House has had two different pools since the 1930s. The indoor swimming pool opened on June 2, 1933, after a campaign led by the New York Daily News to raise money for building a pool for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who suffered from poliomyelitis and often swam at therapy pools at his Hyde Park home in New York or at a rehabilitation center in Warm Springs, Georgia.
The rectangular pool, encircled by arched ceilings and high rows of half-mooned windows, was built inside the west terrace between the White House and the West Wing.
President Richard M. Nixon arranged for the construction of a press briefing room above the old pool to accommodate the growing demand for television news. Since April 1970 the White House press corps has assembled in a small theater to listen to the White House press secretary's briefings and reports. The doors opening to the Rose Garden allow the members of the media quick access to outdoor events.
President Gerald R. Ford, an avid swimmer, installed an outdoor pool on the White House grounds in 1975.
FDR's swimming pool was completed in 1933. The pool has been covered but remains beneath the floor of the press center.
National ArchivesFeatured Questions
You Might Also Like
-
-
Gallery The White House and the Space Race
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial satellite. Americans panicked. President Dwight D. Eisenhower re...
-
Press NEW Podcast Episode: USA Today’s Susan Page Discusses New Book
Today the White House Historical Association released the latest episode of its monthly podcast, The 1600 Sessions, which focuses on the...
-
Video The 1600 Sessions: First Lady Barbara Bush
First Lady Barbara Bush was admired for her authenticity, as well as her advocacy on issues such as preserving the...
-
First Lady Barbara Bush
-
An Author and a President
Two of the nineteenth century’s most prominent American men, Ulysses S. Grant and Samuel Clemens, better known by his pe...
-
Press NEW BOOK: Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts
This fall, the White House Historical Association will release, Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts: A Pastry Chef’s...
-
Press Background: A History of Presidential Summer Vacations
Since the creation of the American presidency, the country’s leaders and their families have taken summer vacations away from th...
-
Press MEET THE AUTHORS: Summer Book Signings at the White House History Shop
The White House Historical Association (WHHA) will host a series of book signings on select Friday afternoons in June and...
-
Video A Tour of the White House: The Second Floor
When John Adams first occupied the President's House in 1800, the second floor was generally reserved for private and family use....
-
Video A Tour of the White House: The Ground Floor
The white marble walls of the Ground Floor corridor complement the vaulted ceiling arching gracefully overhead. Architect James Hoban installed...
-
Video A Tour of the White House: The Red Room
Benjamin H. Latrobe's 1803 drawing of the State Floor indicates that the Red Room served as "the President's Antichamber" for the...