The Coolest Rooms in the White House (And What Happens in Them)
The White House is a massive mansion, and each room in it has a different purpose and a unique history. This list will tell you all about the most interesting rooms in the White House, and what happens in them. You've probably already heard of many of these, or even seen them in movies or on television, but many of them will be unfamiliar - the lesser-known White House rooms with stories waiting to be told.
This kind of White House history will give you some insight into how the role and demands of the president and the rest of the executive branch have changed over the years. The rooms of the White House have been created or altered throughout history to suit the needs of each new president. Take a dive in and explore the presidential palace.
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Green Room
What goes down in here: Small receptions and teas.
Notable events: President Lincoln's son, who perished of typhoid fever, was embalmed in the Green Room. Eleanor Roosevelt also entertained Amelia Earhart here.Is this interesting? - 2
The Situation Room
What goes down in here: A 24/7 intelligence-gathering operation, and regular briefings to the president about the latest important events.
Notable events: Members of Obama's administration received a play-by-play of the mission to capture Osama bin Laden. This room was created by JFK, and was meant to remedy the lack of real-time information that resulted in the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Where you've seen it in movies/TV: Minority Report, Air Force One, Thirteen Days, The Fifth Element, 24
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East Room
What goes down in here: Press conferences, dances, and banquets. This is the largest room in the White House and the one best-suited for an audience.
Notable events: Many presidents' funerals have been held here, including Kennedy's. President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act here.
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Presidential Emergency Operations Center
What goes down in here: Official business when there is a threat of attack on the United States.
Notable events: George W. Bush met with the National Security Council in this room after the September 11 terrorist attack on New York City. The rudiments of the underground bunker were built during FDR's administration.
Where you've seen it in movies/TV: Olympus Has Fallen, White House Down, multiple seasons of 24
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The Treaty Room
What goes down in here: The president uses it as a working space.
Notable events: William McKinley signed the peace treaty that ended the Spanish-American War in this room, while JFK used it to sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
This room is currently a private presidential study, but it's had many uses over the years. When James Garfield was shot, this room was turned into a sick room with several rudimentary air conditioning machines to try to keep the president comfortable.
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Queen's Bedroom
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What goes down in here: Sleeping.
Notable events: The queens of the Netherlands, Greece, Norway, and Great Britain have all slept here; Winston Churchill also stayed here when he visited Presidents Roosevelt and Truman.
This room used to be called the Rose Room, but its name was changed to reflect the fact that so many queens had stayed in it.
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