White House Renovation

Every first family puts its stamp on the White House. The Obamas’ new kitchen garden echoes the victory garden planted by Eleanor Roosevelt during WW II. F.D.R. made a cloakroom into a movie theater and put in an indoor swimming pool. Nixon, an avid bowler, added a one-lane alley. Eco-friendly Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the roof in 1979, only to have Ronald Reagan remove them in 1986–proof that even First Families can’t go home again.

A Presidential Playground

1 KITCHEN GARDEN The 1,100-sq.-ft. patch will grow 55 kinds of vegetables for White House meals

2 TENNIS COURT Teddy Roosevelt built the first court in 1903; Obama plans to use it for basketball

3 JOGGING TRACK Bill Clinton laid the quarter-mile trail in ’93; in disrepair, it was paved over in ’08

4 SWING SETS The Obama girls’ new playground has a tire swing, climbing wall, fort and slide

5 HORSESHOE PITCH George H.W. Bush tossed ringers with leaders like Boris Yeltsin here

6 SWIMMING POOL Nixon closed F.D.R.’s pool to expand the pressroom; Ford had this one built in ’75

7 PUTTING GREEN In office, Ike reportedly played 800 rounds of golf; this ’54 addition probably helped

8 BASKETBALL HOOP Installed by George H.W. Bush, the half-size court hosted the Chicago Bulls in ’91