12 things you didn’t know about the White House – from a shopping mall in the basement to a code word for when the President wants sex
Donald Trump may have lived in the presidential pad for over a year now, but we bet you didn't know these fascinating facts about the famous building
IT'S one of the most famous addresses in the world for good reason - it is the residence and workplace of the President of the United States.
Donald Trump and his family currently live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and you may be surprised by these facts.
The basement is a shopping mall
Alongside the Situation Room, where the President meets his advisors during a crisis, there is a mini mall beneath the building.
It houses a flower shop, a carpenter’s shop and a dental surgery so the President doesn’t have to leave the building to get a filling.
There is also a bowling alley installed by President Nixon in 1969.
It wasn't always 'The White House'
Although it was always informally referred to as the White House since 1811, it only got its officially title last century.
Teddy Roosevelt had it officially named in 1901, and before that it was known by various names such as President's Palace and the Executive Mansion.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
An executive chef and a team of cooks are on hand to feed the First Family, but they still have to pay.
At the end of each month, the President receives a bill for his and his family’s personal food and expenses including dry cleaning, toothpaste, and toiletries.
The money is then taken from his £300,000 annual salary.
There’s a code word for sex with the First Lady
It’s hard to be alone in The White House, but if Donald wants some private time with Melania there’s a special Secret Service code.
President Obama was know as “Renegade”, Michelle Obama as “Renaissance” and the code for having sex was “discussing the Bosnian problem” as in “Renegade can’t be disturbed right now. He and Renaissance are discussing the Bosnian problem.”
It’s haunted by the ghost of a former President
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill refused to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom after claiming Abraham Lincoln's ghost appeared to him beside the fireplace as he stepped out of the bathroom naked.
FDR changed it forever
Wheelchair-bound President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved in in 1933 and had the whole building adapted.
It became one of the first wheelchair-friendly government buildings in Washington, DC.
It's the only private head of state residence that is open to the public for free
As long as you book, you can have a tour of the White House - so well worth a trip if you ever visit Washington, then.
Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance, so make sure you plan ahead to avoid disappointment.
The design is based on the Dublin mansion Leinster House
There’s another one in Ireland
The White House was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban, who won a competition in 1792.
He based the design on a Leinster House in Dublin.
The electricity scared one First Family
The White House got electricity during Benjamin Harrison’s presidency in 1891, but his family was so scared of touching the switches that they left the lights on all night.
LBJ had the ultimate power shower
Lyndon B. Johnson was so obsessed with getting a state of the art shower that his plumber had a nervous breakdown.
According to a book by Kate Anderson Brower, the shower had water charging out of multiple nozzles with a powerful force.
“One nozzle was pointed directly at his penis, which he nicknamed “Jumbo,” and another shot right up the rear."
When Richard Nixon saw the shower after taking office in 1969 he took one look and said: "Get rid of this stuff."
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Bill Clinton liked a soak
Hillary’s hubby had a seven-seater hot tub installed while he was in office.
The move is over in 12 hours
The White House staff have just a 12 hour window to move the President’s family in.
They start at noon and have to unpack and arrange all furniture and personal items, clean and tidy up before midnight.
The president coordinates the change-over using private movers.