The White House might be thought of as America's original home office. Once the biggest home in America, it has become a living museum and a symbol of American government. More than a million Americans and foreign tourists come through the house every year. Some come with hopes of catching a glimpse of the current First Family or hearing tales about the ghosts of the seven presidents -- including Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy -- who have lain in state here after their assassinations. Others come in droves to see the historical beauty of the centuries-old paintings, the glimmering chandeliers, the sumptuous antique rugs and some 400 works of fine art.
Life in the White House was not always so opulent. When Abigail and John Adams, the first presidential family to live in the house, moved in, they complained of terrible cold. Abigail Adams used the East Room -- now the largest room and one that is often used for everything from formal state dinners to concerts to funerals -- for hanging laundry. Theodore Roosevelt later let his children roller skate in the same room. For many years, the house went without hot water. It didn't have the basic amenity of plumbing until the later 1800s.
Despite its regal touches, the White House has always been promoted as home to the president but a "house of the people." It is for that reason that tours are regularly given, with only the private living quarters off limits. White House Curator Rex Scouten says it is the only residence of a head of state open to the public on a regular basis, free of charge.
