While there are zero public restrooms in the White House, there are thirty five bathrooms in the White House Residence.
The first bathtub placed in the White House is widely believed to have had been installed in 1851 by President Millard Fillmore (1850-53). James Madison (1809-17) is said to have had a bathtub installed in 1814, but the water had to be heated on a stove and carried in a bucket. And this bathtub didn’t get much use due to the fire set by the British August 24, 1814.
Actually, the very first bathtub at the White House was the Potomac River, with the first mention of a private bathroom during the Monroe administration (1817-1825).
The White House kitchen is not as large as one might believe. With five full-time chefs, it is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000. A substantial renovation funded by the New Deal Public Works Administration produced the largely stainless steel kitchen that welcomed Harry Truman to the presidential residence in 1945.
White House chefs use produce from the Kitchen Garden, planted in the spring of 2009 by First Lady Michelle Obama, with the help of students from a local elementary school.
To schedule a tour of the White House visit: https://whitehouse.gov1.info/visit/tour.html
And note that photos & selfies are now allowed at the White House! In 2015, the White House lifted its longstanding camera and photo ban on public tours. Guests are now welcome to take photos throughout the White House tour route and are encouraged to share their photos using the hashtag #WhiteHouseTour. Phones and compact still cameras with a lens no longer than 3 inches are allowed.
