Overview

• A White House official confirmed tours are temporarily suspended for construction of a 90,000-square-foot State Ballroom scheduled to start in September.
• Multiple congressional offices posted notices that tours will pause beginning Sept. 1, with some describing the halt as indefinite.
• The administration says previously approved visits remain in place through August, while new bookings are paused as the White House, Secret Service and National Park Service plan how to preserve public access.
• The ballroom is designed to seat about 650 people and carries an estimated $200 million price tag to be funded by President Trump and private donors.
• The National Park Service removed its White House field trips page, and criticism from lawmakers grew as the project targets a reported completion in early 2029.