During the transition period that occurred between Election Day and Inauguration Day, public tours of the White House were temporarily suspended while the administration changed hands.

On Wednesday, first lady Melania Trump proudly announced that White House tours for the general public would finally resume near the end of the month, on February 25, the New York Post reported.

It is a welcome change that will provide an opportunity for President Donald Trump's supporters and all patriotic Americans to personally visit and witness firsthand the grandeur and history of the official residence of the nation's president and spouse.

Public tours of White House set to resume

In an official statement issued on Wednesday from the Office of the First Lady, Melania Trump said, "The President and I are excited to reopen the White House to those interested in the extraordinary story of this iconic and beautiful landmark."

"There is much to learn about the American Presidency, the First Families who have lived here, and our Nation’s rich history from a firsthand experience at the White House," she continued.

The first lady added, "This opportunity is unique among nations around the globe -- a tradition we are honored to continue for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year."

The announcement noted that public tours of the White House must be scheduled through a member of Congress, preferably anywhere from three weeks to three months ahead of time, per Fox News and the National Park Service, and are scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis.

It was further noted that the tours, which are generally self-guided and last around 45 minutes, would occur on Tuesdays through Saturdays in the morning, except for federal holidays and barring other circumstances, and a link was provided for those who desire additional information.

Tours were suspended for two years following 2020 pandemic

According to Spectrum News, public tours of the White House have been a thing since 1805 under former President Thomas Jefferson, and have continued over the centuries with only a few temporary exceptions, such as during wars and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indeed, CNN reported in June 2022 that public tours of the White House were finally resumed in full -- limited tours on the weekends were relaunched earlier that year -- after the tours were suspended in 2020 over concerns about the pandemic.

A little more than two years later, in October 2024, the public tours were stepped up a notch under the guidance of former first lady Jill Biden, according to the Associated Press, who drew on her experience as a teacher to make the tours more interactive and fulfilling for visitors.

Those changes included, among other things, opening up an assortment of rooms that had previously been off-limits, adding recordings and informational displays, and providing replicas of historic features that visitors could touch or interact with.

Excellent opportunity for the public

As the first lady noted, White House tours provide the general public with an excellent opportunity to see for themselves where the president lives and what daily life in the presidential mansion is like.

Hopefully, those tours will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future and not be suspended once again by a national catastrophe or foreign conflict that involves the United States.