The most famous residence in America still has its fair share of mysteries.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been home to (almost) all the Presidents, and their lives there have been scrutinized all through history. But even so, there's some weird, underreported stuff.
Calvin Coolidge walked his pet raccoon Rebecca around the halls, Obama brewed beer there, it was burned down by the British, and there’s even a chocolate shop inside the place.
Go behind the most secure doors in America and see how the most powerful person in the free world lives.
1
It wasn’t always white
The exterior was first gray. After the British torched it in 1814, it was whitewashed to cover fire damage.
2
There's a tennis court that doubles as a basketball court
Originally just a tennis court, Obama had the lines repainted for basketball games.
3
The White House has its own movie theater
Originally a coatroom, it's now a private screening room. FDR watched Snow White there.
4
The Oval Office wasn’t part of the original design
It was added during William Howard Taft’s administration.
5
It took 8 years to build
Construction began in 1792 and finished in 1800. George Washington never lived in it.
6
It has a secret bunker
Called the PEOC (Presidential Emergency Operations Center), it’s designed for nuclear scenarios.
7
Barack Obama brewed beer in the White House
It was the first time alcohol had been made there—he even released the recipe for “White House Honey Ale."
8
A pet raccoon once lived there
Calvin Coolidge had a raccoon named Rebecca who walked on a leash and sometimes roamed the halls.
9
There’s a bowling alley
Nixon loved bowling so much, he had a one-lane alley added in the basement
10
There’s an entire chocolate shop inside
Pastry chefs make presidential desserts in-house—complete with sculpted sugar replicas.
11
There's a hidden indoor pool
FDR had it installed for therapy, but it was later covered over to make room for the press briefing room.
12
The White House burned down
The British set fire to it in 1814 during the War of 1812. Only the outer walls survived
13
There's a dentist office
After Grover Cleveland had dental surgery on a yacht, they built one to be prepared.
14
There's a ghost problem
Abraham Lincoln’s ghost is the most frequently reported, with Winston Churchill claiming to have seen him.
15
It’s not called the White House officially until 1901
Theodore Roosevelt made the name official. Before that, it was just “The Executive Mansion.”
