Index/Locations/South Lawn

South Lawn

Location within the White House campus in Washington, D.C., United States

Fact-Checks

13 results
Dec 7, 2025
Most Viewed

Did Obama build the basketball court for the White House?

President Barack Obama did not build a new indoor basketball arena at the White House; he adapted the existing South Lawn tennis court so it could be used for full‑court basketball by adding hoops and...

Nov 15, 2025
Most Viewed

Examples of past large White House gatherings using tents?

Tents have been a routine, practical solution for large White House functions—especially state dinners—when indoor rooms (the East Room seats about 200) could not accommodate guest lists; presidents f...

Nov 2, 2025
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How often has the White House used the South Lawn or Ellipse tents for diplomatic events compared with formal State Dining Room events?

The available documents show that historically most formal White House state dinners have been held indoors in the or the East Room when larger capacity was needed, while tents on the South Lawn or th...

Nov 25, 2025

Which presidential administrations have relied on outdoor tented gatherings at the White House?

Outdoor tented gatherings have been a routine solution when the White House needs space beyond the East Room’s roughly 200-seat capacity; reporters and historical accounts document presidential events...

Dec 20, 2025

Where can I view Reuters’ photo gallery of the White House Presidential Walk of Fame plaques?

The Reuters photo gallery showing images of the White House “Presidential Walk of Fame” — portraits and newly installed partisan plaques along the Colonnade — is published on Reuters’ website as a pho...

Nov 16, 2025

When was the White House basketball court built or last renovated and who funded it?

Available reporting shows the White House tennis court on the South Lawn was adapted so it also could be used as a basketball court in 2009 during the Obama presidency; the work was a modest conversio...

Oct 30, 2025

What types of events are typically held on the White House lawn?

The White House lawn, especially the , serves as a multipurpose ceremonial and recreational stage where administrations host long-standing public traditions, diplomatic ceremonies, seasonal celebratio...

Dec 13, 2025

What is the largest event space in the White House?

The White House’s traditional largest interior event space is the East Room, which holds about 200 people . Since July 2025 the White House has announced construction of a new “White House State Ballr...

Nov 26, 2025

How has the use of the South Lawn for public ceremonies changed over time and what notable dates mark those shifts?

The South Lawn shifted from a publicly accessible meadow in the 19th and early 20th centuries to a closed, ceremonial and private space by World War II; today it hosts official arrivals, state dinners...

Oct 29, 2025

What is the typical itinerary for a foreign head of state visiting the White House?

A typical state visit to the White House is a formal, ceremonial series of events centered on a , representing the highest expression of bilateral relations between the United States and a visiting he...

Oct 24, 2025

Did President Obama use private funds for any part of the basketball court conversion?

The claim asks whether President Barack Obama used private funds to convert the White House tennis court into a basketball court. The available dossier of articles reporting on White House renovations...

Oct 21, 2025

How did the Trump administration allocate funds for the White House renovation project in 2020?

The core claim is that the Trump administration sought in 2020 to renovate and modernize the White House West Wing, proposing to place that request in coronavirus relief legislation and framing it as ...

Oct 21, 2025

What are some notable examples of Presidents making significant changes to the White House?

The reporting converges on several clear claims: President Donald Trump is pursuing a privately funded, roughly $250 million project to add a large ballroom to the White House by demolishing part of t...