Number One Observatory Circle: What Most People Get Wrong About the Home of the Vice President

You’d think the person second-in-line to the presidency would live in a place as famous as the White House. Honestly, most people just assume the Vice President has a wing in that big executive mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue. They don't. Since 1974, the home of the Vice President has been tucked away on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory.

It’s called Number One Observatory Circle. It isn't a museum. It isn't a public monument. It’s a nineteenth-century Queen Anne-style house that smells like old wood and fresh wax, sitting on a hill about two miles northwest of the Oval Office.

Why the Vice President didn't always have an official house

For nearly two centuries, the Vice President was basically a nomad. They lived in their own homes, or they rented hotel rooms. It sounds wild now, but it was just the way things were.

Think about it. Thomas Jefferson lived in a boarding house. When Harry Truman was VP, he lived in a modest apartment in Connecticut Avenue. The government didn't think it was necessary to foot the bill for a second mansion. But then the world changed. Security became a nightmare. By the time the 1960s rolled around, the Secret Service was pulling their hair out trying to secure private residences that weren't built for protection.

In 1966, Congress actually authorized the construction of a residence. They just... forgot to fund it. Typical, right? It took another eight years for them to realize that fixing up an existing building was cheaper than building a new one from scratch. They looked at the Naval Observatory.

The transition from the Admiral to the VP

The house was originally built in 1893 for the superintendent of the Naval Observatory. Later, the Chief of Naval Operations—the highest-ranking officer in the Navy—moved in. It was a "Navy house" through and through.

The Navy still actually owns the land. That creates a weird dynamic where the Vice President is essentially a high-profile tenant of the military. When Walter Mondale moved in as the first full-time resident in 1977, he had to navigate a space that felt more like a captain's quarters than a modern executive home.

💡 You might also like: The Date of Thanksgiving This Year and Why It Feels So Late

Life inside Number One Observatory Circle

The house is white-painted brick. It’s about 9,000 square feet. Compared to the 55,000 square feet of the White House, it's basically a cottage, but it’s a massive step up from a D.C. condo.

The first floor is where the "official" stuff happens. You've got the reception hall, a living room, a dining room, and a garden room. This is where the VP hosts foreign dignitaries or holds small policy dinners. It feels intimate. You can actually have a conversation without your voice echoing off forty-foot ceilings.

The private quarters

The second and third floors are off-limits to the public and most staff. This is the actual home of the Vice President.

• The second floor usually contains the primary bedroom suite and a study.
• The third floor was originally servants' quarters but now functions as extra bedrooms for family or guests.

Each Vice President brings their own vibe. The Bidens famously had a "nature trail" on the grounds. The Pences were big on the outdoor space. Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff did extensive renovations to the kitchen and the floors before they fully moved in, which actually delayed their arrival by a few months.

People forget that these are real people living there. They have to pick out paint colors. They have to worry about whether the Wi-Fi reaches the third floor. It’s a weird mix of high-stakes security and mundane domesticity.

The secrets of the grounds

The property sits on 72 acres, but the VP doesn't get the whole thing. Most of it is still a working scientific facility. The Naval Observatory is where the "Master Clock" of the United States lives. Basically, if you want to know exactly what time it is, you ask the VP's neighbors.

Because it’s a military site, the security is intense but subtle. You won't see the massive iron fences like you do at the White House. Instead, you have the natural topography of the hill and a lot of very high-tech sensors hidden in the trees.

The "Bunker" Rumors

After 9/11, things changed at Number One Observatory Circle. Neighbors reported hearing massive construction noises. Rumors swirled about a deep underground bunker being installed.

🔗 Read more: Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service Obituaries: What Most People Get Wrong

The official line from the government was that they were doing "infrastructure upgrades" for utilities. Most experts, however, agree that there is a secure, hardened facility beneath the house now. If the Vice President needs to be whisked away during a national emergency, they aren't just hiding in the basement pantry.

Why it's better than the White House (Seriously)

Most VPs will tell you—off the record, of course—that they prefer Number One Observatory Circle to the White House.

The White House is a "fishbowl." It’s a workplace. It’s a museum. It’s a tourist attraction. There are hundreds of people walking through the hallways every day. You can't really step out onto the porch in your pajamas to drink coffee without a sniper on the roof or a tourist with a telephoto lens seeing you.

The home of the Vice President is different. It’s secluded. It’s quiet. You can hear the wind in the trees. There’s a swimming pool (Dan Quayle had it installed, and every VP since has thanked him for it). There’s a hot tub. There's a sense of "home" that the White House simply lacks because of its scale and history.

Maintaining a piece of history

Maintaining a house built in 1893 is a nightmare. Ask anyone who lives in a Victorian home. Now imagine that house has to be secure enough to withstand a terrorist attack and elegant enough to host the Prime Minister of the UK.

The Vice President’s Residence Foundation is the non-profit that handles the decor. Taxpayer money covers the security and the basic structure, but the fancy rugs, the art, and the high-end furniture? That’s usually raised through private donations.

This prevents the "look" of the house from becoming a political football every four years.

The "Hidden" Costs

While the VP doesn't pay rent, they do pay for their own food and dry cleaning. That’s a rule for the President too. If the Vice President wants a steak dinner for their family, they get a bill at the end of the month. It's a grounding reality for people who spend their days surrounded by motorcades and "Yes, Ma'am" or "Yes, Sir."

Visiting the Home of the Vice President

Here is the short version: You can't.

🔗 Read more: Where to Find Free 50th Anniversary Images That Actually Look Good

Unlike the White House, there are no public tours of Number One Observatory Circle. You can see the gate from Massachusetts Avenue. You can see the lush greenery of the Naval Observatory grounds. But you aren't getting inside unless you're a high-level donor, a foreign official, or a personal friend of the family.

This exclusivity is part of the charm. It keeps the residence a sanctuary rather than a stage.

Why the location matters for D.C.

The house sits right in the middle of "Embassy Row." It's surrounded by the British Embassy, the Vatican’s diplomatic mission, and dozens of other high-power residences.

This makes the logistics of being Vice President a bit easier. When they need to attend a diplomatic function, they often only have to travel three or four blocks. It keeps the motorcades short and the traffic jams—well, D.C. traffic is always bad, but it helps.

Actionable Insights for History Buffs and Locals

If you're fascinated by the history of the home of the Vice President, you don't have to just stare at the gate.

• Visit the Naval Observatory: While you can't tour the house, the U.S. Naval Observatory often offers limited public tours of the telescopes and the "Master Clock." You’ll be on the same grounds, just a few hundred yards away from where the VP sleeps.
• Walk the Perimeter: A walk down Massachusetts Avenue Heights gives you the best sense of the scale of the property. The elevation of the hill is why it was chosen for telescopes originally—and why it’s so easy to defend today.
• Check the Foundation: If you want to see how the interior changes with each administration, the Vice President’s Residence Foundation occasionally releases photos of the new decor. It’s the only "peek" the public gets.
• Read the memoirs: Former Vice Presidents like Joe Biden, Dick Cheney, and Al Gore have all written about their time in the house. Their descriptions of private moments—like snowy nights on the porch or late-night strategy sessions in the garden room—provide the most authentic look at life inside.

The house at Number One Observatory Circle remains one of the most private residences in the world. It’s a Victorian relic wrapped in modern security, a quiet hill in a loud city, and the place where the person one heartbeat away from the presidency goes to finally turn off the lights.

Next Steps for Research
Check the official U.S. Navy website for telescope tour schedules at the Naval Observatory, as these are the only legal ways to enter the grounds. For architectural enthusiasts, the Library of Congress holds the original blueprints and early photographs of the 1893 construction, which show the house before its many 20th-century "fortification" renovations.