# Are parts of the White House gardens private for the president/family **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211 "2008-11-11T17:39:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/1 "2008-11-11T17:39:42Z")
With a new president, with kids, moving into the White House, I got to wondering. Are parts of the White House lawns/gardens set aside as private and secure for the president and his family? Is there some place that his 2 girls and their new dog are going to be able to play? If yes (and I assume there is) how is this area seperated and protected? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/2 "2008-11-11T17:49:04Z")
Yesterday Mrs. Bush gave Mrs. Obama a tour of the private quarters. I’m sure there’s Secret Service all over the place guarding the entrances. I also believe the area over the White House is a no-fly zone. The girls will be frolicking in the gardens, getting plenty of fresh air, while their Secret Service guards give anyone with a camera who gets too close to the gates the stink-eye. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/3 "2008-11-11T17:53:19Z")
I saw on the news yesterday (ABC) that there is an actual children’s “secret garden”, that has been in place since the Kennedy administration. There are also tennis courts, basketball court, and a pool. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/4 "2008-11-11T18:01:54Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > I saw on the news yesterday (ABC) that there is an actual children’s “secret garden”, that has been in place since the Kennedy administration. There are also tennis courts, basketball court, and a pool. And a bowling alley installed on orders from Nixon. Barack can improve his game. The secret garden is in the middle of the regular one but hidden from sight by cleverly placed shrubs. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/5 "2008-11-11T18:05:11Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > And a bowling alley installed on orders from Nixon. Barack can improve his game. Word on the street is that Barack will replace the bowling alley with a basketball court. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/6 "2008-11-11T18:06:05Z")
Amy Carter had a treehouse on the South Lawn. Accommodations of some sort will be made. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/7 "2008-11-11T18:11:17Z")
There appears to be an outdoor swimming pool and a tennis court on the grounds, in a heavily-treed area to the southwest of the building (according to Google maps). I’m not sure whether the parks immediately south of and north of the White House are public or not. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/8 "2008-11-11T18:14:29Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Word on the street is that Barack will replace the bowling alley with a basketball court. Barack and I are going to have issues if he tries to remove that bowling alley. Besides, [the PBA has already offered him free lessons](http://www.freep.com/article/20081108/SPORTS18/811080378/1066/SPORTS18). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/9 "2008-11-11T19:11:37Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Word on the street is that Barack will replace the bowling alley with a basketball court. Actually, there is already a half court. Maybe he’ll expand it. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/10 "2008-11-11T19:23:43Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Amy Carter had a treehouse on the South Lawn. That is AWESOME. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/11 "2008-11-11T19:27:22Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > And a bowling alley installed on orders from Nixon. Barack can improve his game. > > The secret garden is in the middle of the regular one but hidden from sight by **cleverly placed shrubs**. Dubya’s whole family is in on it? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/12 "2008-11-11T20:04:33Z")
This “secret garden” is part of the First Lady’s Garden, opposite the Rose Garden? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parts-of-the-white-house-gardens-private-for-the-president-family/472211/13 "2008-11-11T20:27:41Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’m not sure whether the parks immediately south of and north of the White House are public or not. Do you mean Lafayette Square and the Ellipse? Yes, they are. We walked through them both recently circling the White House. Pennsylvania and E. St. to the north and south were open but the Executive Ave E. & W. were closed, effectively blocking views with the Old Executive Office Bldg (under restoration after the fire) and it’s eastern counterpart.