Every US president since John Adams has lived in this 132-room mansion at America's most famous address. Its stature has grown through the years: no longer a mere residence, it's now the central icon of the American presidency.

The Presidential Palace - as it was once known - has changed a great deal over history (and with its changing residents). It was not originally white, for example. After the British burned the building in the War of 1812, it was restored and painted. It was Teddy Roosevelt that later gave official sanction to the executive mansion's popular name.

An overhaul in 1950 gutted almost the entire interior, and Jacqueline Kennedy's extensive redecoration campaign in the 1960s replaced the previous hodgepodge with more tasteful furnishings. Presidents have customized the property over time: Grant put in a personal zoo; FDR added a pool, Truman a balcony, Bush a horseshoe-throwing lane and Clinton a jogging track. Some residents never leave: It's said that Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman both sighted Lincoln's ghost in Abe's old study.

Back before Herbert Hoover's era, presidents used to open the doors at 12:00 each day to shake visitors' hands. Alas, no longer. Daily tours of the White House have been suspended since September 11, 2001 (although Laura Bush conducts a video tour at the White House Visitors Center). The White House grounds are also occasionally opened for special events, however, such as Tee-ball on the South Lawn and the Easter Egg Roll, held every Easter Monday for kids aged three to six.

Concerns for the safety of the President make the White House off-limits to the public these days unless you organize a group tour . We know it's not nearly as good as the real thing, but you can still get a feel for what the inside of the White House looks like by visiting the official website. Here in the Life of the White House section President George W Bush, Laura Bush, Vice President Cheney and other administration heavyweights narrate video tours of famous rooms including the Oval Office and Roosevelt Room. The video presentations are actually quite interesting and filled with little White House trivia nuggets. For example, Bush talks about how each president designs his own Oval Office rug and how the presidential seal in the middle of the room was altered after WWII by President Harry Truman to represent America as a nation at peace, not war - ironic commentary coming from Bush's mouth.

In lieu of touring the White House itself, visitors can also browse exhibits, watch historic reenactments and take a video tour at the Visitors Center (202-208-1631; www.nps.gov/whho; 1450 Pennsylvania Ave NW; admission free; ;07:30-16:00; ;McPherson Sq) in Malcolm Baldrige Hall of the Department of Commerce building. It's obviously not the same as seeing the real deal first-hand, but it does provide an overview of the building's history, as well as fun anecdotes about the presidential families (and pets!) who have graced its halls. Each month, the visitors center puts on free performances by actors who recreate the lives of presidents and patriots.