Exhibition - Blair House: The President's Guest House

Since its purchase by the United States Government in 1942, Blair House has served as the official guest residence for the president of the United States. Situated at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue, across from the White House, Blair House accommodates visiting foreign heads of state and delegations upon an invitation from the president. Beyond its significant role in providing the best of American hospitality to dignitaries from abroad, Blair House hosts presidents-elect in the weeks preceding their inauguration and move into the White House. Before it was an official guest house, Blair House was the home of a prominent political family, and for more than a century the Blairs welcomed presidents as neighbors and friends.

Marking the story of the presidency through history, this exhibition presents Blair House, The President’s Guest House, as a historic private home, the threshold for a modern president’s inauguration, and the centerpiece of today’s diplomatic hospitality. The history of the house and its historic role within the U.S. Department of State and the White House are explored through paintings, photographs, documents, and objects from the Blair House collection.

Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday on November 24 – November 26; Christmas holiday December 24 - January 2; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday, January 16; Inauguration week, January 17 - January 21; and President's Day, Monday, February 20.

Interested in learning more about the Blair House? Our latest book on the subject, Blair House: The President's Guest House, by William Seale, takes you through the long history of the house and inside its rooms today.