25°41′30″N 80°10′28″W / 25.691761°N 80.174460°W / 25.691761; -80.174460 The Florida White House (or Winter White House ) was an informal name for a compound in Key Biscayne, Florida , used by U.S. President Richard Nixon .
59-477: Mar-a-Lago ( / ˌ m ɑːr ə ˈ l ɑː ɡ oʊ / MAR ə LAH -goh , Spanish: [ˈmaɾ a ˈlaɣo] ) is a resort and National Historic Landmark in Palm Beach, Florida . It spans 126 rooms and 62,500 sq ft (5,810 m) built on 17 acres of land. Since 1985, it has been owned by United States president-elect Donald Trump , who lives on the estate as his primary residence. Mar-a-Lago
118-600: A Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) was operational at Mar-a-Lago. It was removed after he left office. The SCIF was used for communications with the White House Situation Room and Pentagon. The Mar-a-Lago Crowd , an informal group organized by President Trump which oversaw many of the activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Trump administration, frequently met at
177-532: A "non-member associate of organized crime figures". President John F. Kennedy and Nixon met for the first time after the 1960 presidential election in an oceanfront villa at the old Key Biscayne Hotel. As the Watergate scandal developed, Nixon spent more time in seclusion there. The United States Department of Defense spent $ 400,000 constructing a helicopter landing pad in Biscayne Bay adjacent to
236-501: A closed-off area on the grounds. During his first presidency , Trump frequently visited Mar-a-Lago and held meetings there with international leaders, including Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese president Xi Jinping . Since 2019, Trump has designated the estate as his primary residence. The name Mar-a-Lago means "sea to lake" in Spanish, reflecting the fact that the estate extends from one end of Palm Beach Island to
295-510: A collection of nearly 36,000 15th century tiles that had been assembled in the 1880s by Mrs. Horace Havermeyer . This collection is possibly one of the largest in the world. The house has 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, a 29-foot-long (8.8 m) pietra dura marble-top dining table, 12 fireplaces, and three bomb shelters . On April 18, 2012, members of the American Institute of Architects ' Florida chapter ranked Mar-a-Lago fifth on
354-567: A pavilion with a 30-foot-by-50-foot dance floor was built where square dance evenings were held. By the 1950s and 1960s, social tastes had changed, and many mansions constructed in the 1920s were demolished. However, in 1969 Mar-a-Lago was designated a national historic site. A contemporary report prepared by the Department of the Interior attributed its significance to providing "an excellent picture of winter resort life in Palm Beach prior to
413-585: A range of items used to maintain the mansion and his lifestyle as being legitimate business expenses. Membership at the Mar-a-Lago Club required a $ 200,000 initiation fee. In 2012, reportedly in response to reduced demand following the Bernie Madoff scandal which affected many affluent Palm Beach residents, the fee was lowered to $ 100,000. The fee returned to $ 200,000 in January 2017 after Trump
472-575: A working dinner, where the two leaders discussed the U.S.-led effort to oust Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro , a future trade deal, and peace for the Middle East. Also at the dinner was Bolsonaro's press secretary, Fábio Wajngarten [ pt ] , whose wife informed others on social media on March 11, 2020, that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after he had returned from the United States via Miami to Brazil. Others attending
531-861: Is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500, or roughly three percent, of over 90,000 places listed on the country's National Register of Historic Places are recognized as National Historic Landmarks. A National Historic Landmark District sometimes called a National Historical Park may include more than one National Historic Landmark and contributing properties that are buildings, structures, sites or objects, and it may include non-contributing properties. Contributing properties may or may not also be separately listed or registered. Prior to 1935, efforts to preserve cultural heritage of national importance were made by piecemeal efforts of
590-474: The Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places list. The primary business occupying the estate is the Mar-a-Lago Club, which opened in 1994 and operates as resort and hotel for dues-paying members, and rents out estate venues for private events. Operating the mansion as a club in this way, while continuing to live on the premises, allows Trump to significantly reduce his tax bill, by identifying
649-832: The Former Presidents Act . Following the end of his term, Trump and other Republican candidates continued to hold fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago, and Trump continued to hold significant influence over the Republican party, a state of affairs labelled the "Mar-a-Lago machine" by the New York Times . Mar-a-Lago was the location of watch parties for Trump and close allies for the 2022 United States elections on November 8, 2022 and for Super Tuesday on March 5, 2024. During his 2024 presidential campaign , Trump hosted Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago. Upon departing
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#1732798162829708-896: The Historic American Buildings Survey amassed information about culturally and architecturally significant properties in a program known as the Historic Sites Survey. Most of the designations made under this legislation became National Historic Sites , although the first designation, made December 20, 1935, was for a National Memorial , the Gateway Arch National Park (then known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) in St. Louis , Missouri. The first National Historic Site designation
767-537: The Melbourne Orlando International Airport . He also conducted interviews for a replacement National Security Advisor and named General H. R. McMaster as Michael Flynn's, who had recently been terminated, successor on February 20, 2017. After President Trump's fourth weekend visit on March 3–5, 2017, questions were raised about the access his paying club members have to him and his entourage. A number of Democratic senators asked
826-633: The United States Congress . In 1935, Congress passed the Historic Sites Act , which authorized the interior secretary authority to formally record and organize historic properties, and to designate properties as having "national historical significance", and gave the National Park Service authority to administer historically significant federally owned properties. Over the following decades, surveys such as
885-552: The 1920s". Donald Trump initially offered the Post family $ 15 million, which was rejected. Trump then purchased land between Mar-a-Lago and the ocean from Jack C. Massey , the former owner of KFC , for $ 2 million, stating he intended to build a home that would block Mar-a-Lago's beach view. This threat caused competing interest in Mar-a-Lago to decline. Trump purchased the property for $ 7 million in 1985. Different sources have put
944-842: The 50 states. New York City alone has more NHLs than all but five states: Virginia , California , Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York, the latter of which has the most NHLs of all 50 states. There are 74 NHLs in the District of Columbia . Some NHLs are in U.S. commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states . There are 15 in Puerto Rico , the Virgin Islands , and other U.S. commonwealths and territories ; five in U.S.-associated states such as Micronesia ; and one in Morocco . Over 100 ships or shipwrecks have been designated as NHLs. Approximately half of
1003-488: The Chinese president Xi Jinping for the first two days. At Mar-a-Lago, the decision to strike a Syrian airfield was made. The following Easter weekend was also spent with family members at Mar-a-Lago. On April 4, 2017, prior to Xi's visit, ShareAmerica , a website run by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs , published a blog post describing Mar-a-Lago's history. On April 5, 2017,
1062-497: The Department of Justice to restrict any details regarding the contents of the 15 boxes. On May 11, 2022, the Justice Department sent Trump a grand jury subpoena, requesting any additional documents marked classified. A later subpoena requested surveillance footage from the club. On August 8, 2022, FBI agents presented a search warrant and searched Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago, part of the continuing investigation into
1121-626: The Depression". Post, who died in 1973, willed the 17-acre (6.9 ha) estate to the United States government as a Winter White House for presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries. Richard Nixon preferred the Florida White House in Key Biscayne , however, and Jimmy Carter was not interested. The federal government soon realized the immense cost of maintenance and the difficulty of providing security and returned it to
1180-524: The Key Biscayne Bank, was indicted for money-laundering a $ 100,000 donation from Howard Hughes to the Nixon election campaign. According to an exposé by Don Fulsom , Nixon and Rebozo got bargain real estate prices from Donald Berg , a Mafia -associated Rebozo business partner. The Secret Service eventually advised Nixon to stop associating with Berg. The lender for one of Nixon's properties
1239-757: The Madness Jackson and Presley kissed for the first time at Mar-a-Lago early in their relationship. It still frequently hosted the International Red Cross Ball, an annual "white tie, tails, and tiara" event founded by Post. In 2000, Virginia Giuffre was a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago when she was first approached by Ghislaine Maxwell and introduced to Jeffrey Epstein . Giuffre would later go on to make accusations against Maxwell and Epstein for sex trafficking her to clients including Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz . In 2005, Trump married Melania Knauss at Mar-a-Lago. The ceremony
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#17327981628291298-672: The National Historic Landmarks are privately owned . The National Historic Landmarks Program relies on suggestions for new designations from the National Park Service, which also assists in maintaining the landmarks . A friends' group of owners and managers, the National Historic Landmark Stewards Association, works to preserve, protect and promote National Historic Landmarks. If not already listed on
1357-799: The National Register of Historic Places, an NHL is automatically added to the Register upon designation; about three percent of Register listings are NHLs. Washington, D.C. is home to three specifically legislated exceptions to this rule: the White House , the United States Capitol , and the United States Supreme Court Building . All are designated as NHLs, but are not on the National Register. Florida White House Nixon purchased
1416-555: The National Register, or as an NHL) often triggered local preservation laws, legislation in 1980 amended the listing procedures to require owner agreement to the designations. On October 9, 1960, 92 places, properties, or districts were announced as eligible to be designated NHLs by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton . Agreements of owners or responsible parties were subsequently obtained, but all 92 have since been considered listed on that 1960 date. The origins of
1475-535: The Post Foundation in 1981. It was listed for sale for $ 20 million. Post's daughters, including Dina Merrill , did not maintain the property anticipating a sale, but there was so little interest that its demolition was approved. Mar-a-Lago was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980 for exemplifying "the baronial way of life of the wealthy who built mansions in Florida during the Florida land boom of
1534-805: The President to release visitor logs of Mar-a-Lago and as well as a list of the members of the private club. Subsequently, the "Mar-a-Lago Act" was introduced, legislation requiring publication of logs of visitors at the White House and other places where the president conducts business. After a lawsuit was filed, a judge ordered, in July 2017, that these logs be released in September. President Trump's fifth presidential visit took place on March 17–18. Guests included Melania's parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs. During his next visit April 6–9, President Trump hosted
1593-606: The U.S. embassy in the United Kingdom's website shared snippets of the original blog post on its own blog, and the U.S. embassy in Albania 's Facebook page shared the original post. On April 24, 2017, Democratic senator Ron Wyden , House minority leader Nancy Pelosi , and ethics observers like former ambassador Norman Eisen , questioned the use of official government resources promoting a private property owned by Trump. By April 25, 2017, ShareAmerica and both U.S. embassies in
1652-551: The United Kingdom and Albania removed their respective posts. ShareAmerica, replaced their post with the following statement, "The intention of the article was to inform the public about where the president has been hosting world leaders. We regret any misperception and have removed the post." In November 2017, President Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago for a Thanksgiving celebration, and one month later he returned for his tenth presidential visit during his Christmas vacation. In 2018, President Trump visited Mar-a-Lago eight times prior to
1711-485: The United States secretary of the interior because they are: More than 2,500 NHLs have been designated. Most, but not all, are in the United States. There are NHLs in all 50 states and the national capital of Washington, D.C. Three states ( Pennsylvania , Massachusetts , and New York ) account for nearly 25 percent of the nation's NHLs. Three cities within these states, Philadelphia , Boston , and New York City , respectively, all separately have more NHLs than 40 of
1770-608: The White House in January 2021, Trump transported a large volume of presidential records to Mar-a-Lago, despite storage of such materials being subject to the Presidential Records Act . Seeking to preserve presidential communications and correspondence with world leaders, the National Archives and Records Administration arranged to retrieve 15 boxes of material from Mar-a-Lago in January 2022. These included documents clearly marked as classified, prompting
1829-590: The club. Donald Trump's first visit to Mar-a-Lago as president of the United States took place on the weekend of February 3–6, 2017. On Saturday, he hosted the Diamond Red Cross Ball at the Mar-a-Lago Club, and on Sunday he watched Super Bowl LI at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach . On the weekend of February 10–12, 2017, President Trump and his wife Melania hosted Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe and his wife. This
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1888-419: The combined total cost of the purchase at around $ 10 million. The minimum acceptable bid had been $ 20 million, and the interior furnishings were appraised at $ 8 million. Extensive renovations were done, including the addition of a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m) ballroom. The club has five clay tennis courts and a waterfront pool. Trump's wife at the time, Ivana Trump , managed the property. In 1992, Trump
1947-453: The dinner included Vice President Mike Pence , Ivanka Trump , and Jared Kushner . When President Trump was in residence as president, the Palm Beach region became a zone of temporary flight restrictions affecting flights and air operations severely within a 30 nautical mile (55.56 km) radius. Coast Guard and Secret Service secured the two waterway approaches, ocean and lake, and Secret Service cordoned off streets to Mar-a-Lago during
2006-433: The estate into a private club in 1994, fighting what he considered to be excessive restrictions. The new club hosted concerts by celebrities such as Céline Dion and Billy Joel , and had beauty pageant contestants as guests. The club also had numerous celebrity guests; notably, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley had their honeymoon at Mar-a-Lago in 1994, and according to his biography Michael Jackson: The Magic and
2065-444: The event included his extended family, close friends and members of the Mar-a-Lago club. Elon Musk , Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , Dana White and Vivek Ramaswamy were all at the Mar-a-Lago events, as well as foreign political figures such as Nigel Farage and Eduardo Bolsonaro . Following his election to a second term as President of the United States, Mar-a-Lago became the base for the second presidential transition of Donald Trump as
2124-484: The exterior wall facing, some interior structures, arches, and the Barwig sculptures. This fossil-bearing limestone was chosen for its quality of rapid aging and its suitability for intricate carving. Approximately 20,000 roofing tiles and 2,200 black and white marble floor blocks came from a Cuban castle. Of particular interest are the antique Spanish tiles used lavishly in the entrance hall, patio, cloisters, and some rooms;
2183-593: The first National Historic Landmark was a simple cedar post, placed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on their 1804 outbound trek to the Pacific in commemoration of the death from natural causes of Sergeant Charles Floyd . The cedar plank was later replaced by a 100 ft (30 m) marble obelisk. The Sergeant Floyd Monument in Sioux City, Iowa , was officially designated on June 30, 1960. NHLs are designated by
2242-435: The first of his three waterfront homes, 500 Bay Lane, during 1969 from his former Senate colleague George Smathers of Florida . Nixon visited it at least 50 times while in office as President from 1969 to 1974. Nixon's compound was close to the home of Charles "Bebe" Rebozo who resided at 490 Bay Lane and of industrialist Robert Abplanalp (inventor of the modern aerosol spray can valve). Bebe Rebozo, president/owner of
2301-742: The girl was a teenager at the time, and confirms that Epstein is listed in club membership records as "Account closed 10/07", in contrast to cases of members' resignations, where "Resigned" is normally noted. As of January 2017, the club was nearly at its maximum capacity of 500 paying members and was admitting twenty to forty new members a year. Members as of 2017 include oil executive Bill Koch , financier Thomas Peterffy , New Jersey Democratic Party leader George Norcross , lobbyist Kenneth Duberstein , real estate developers Bruce E. Toll and Richard LeFrak , media executive Christopher Ruddy , talk show host Howie Carr , talk show host Michael Savage 's wife, and NFL coach Bill Belichick . In February 2017 it
2360-608: The other, touching the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Lake Worth on the west. During the 1920s Florida land boom , Marjorie Merriweather Post , heiress to the Post Cereals business and later the wealthiest woman in the United States, paid for the house to be built with her husband Edward F. Hutton . She hired Marion Sims Wyeth as designer and Joseph Urban for interior design and exterior decorations. Post spent US $ 7 million (equivalent to $ 123 million in 2023). It
2419-441: The pair taken at Mar-a-Lago include a photograph of Trump and Epstein from 1997, and a photograph taken on 12 February 2000 with Trump, Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell , and Trump's future wife Melania Knauss . In the early 1990s, Trump faced financial difficulties. While negotiating with bankers he attempted to divide Mar-a-Lago into smaller properties, alarming Palm Beach residents. City council rejected this plan. Trump instead turned
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2478-642: The place was worth more than $ 200 million. Brokers on the island thought it could be worth far more, with the most aggressive estimate coming in at $ 725 million. When Forbes last valued the property in March, we went with a conservative $ 350 million." A 2022 lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged that Trump inflated the value of Mar-a-Lago to $ 739 million, when the property should actually be valued at $ 75 million. President Trump referred to Mar-a-Lago as his "Winter White House", and on occasion his "Southern White House". During Trump's presidency,
2537-547: The potential mishandling of classified documents. The Secret Service "facilitated access" for the FBI, and one of Trump's lawyers was present for the search. Trump was at Mar-a-Lago on the night of the 2024 United States presidential election . While Trump's official watch party was hosted at Palm Beach County Convention Center , where Trump delivered his victory speech, Trump hosted a more exclusive watch party and several private dinners at Mar-a-Lago during election night. Attendees at
2596-537: The president's visits. The Coast Guard also attached an elite Maritime Safety and Security Team with unique capabilities that specialized in maritime security. By the third weekend in February 2017, nearby Palm Beach County Park Airport (Lantana Airport) had been shut down for three consecutive weekends, accumulating significant financial losses for multiple businesses. At the end of his term, Trump went to live at Mar-a-Lago and established an office as provided for by
2655-473: The president-elect made decisions on the nomination of people for his upcoming administration. Architecturally, the resort is in Spanish Revival style. The house is a mediterranean-style villa, an adaptation of Hispano-Moresque which was popular in Palm Beach at the time. It has a two-story central block with family quarters and service areas in lower subsidiary wings and buildings. This arrangement
2714-549: The seasonal closing in May. During this time he had a summit meeting with Shinzō Abe on April 17–18. In November 2018, President Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving. One month later, President Trump canceled his planned Christmas vacation in Mar-a-Lago following the federal government shutdown . In November 2019, he returned to Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving, and a month later returned for Christmas. On March 7, 2020, President Trump hosted Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro for
2773-429: The value of the estate at around $ 350 million. However, this valuation ignores the restrictions put on the property. In 1995 Trump "gave up the right to use Mar-a-Lago for any purpose other than as a social club" by agreeing to a "Deed of Conservation and Preservation". In 2002 he agreed to a conservation easement preventing further development. According to Forbes , "Real estate experts outside of Palm Beach guessed that
2832-522: Was Arthur Desser , who consorted with both Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa and mobster Meyer Lansky . Nixon and Rebozo were friends of James V. Crosby , the chairman of a company repeatedly associated with major mobsters, and Rebozo's Key Biscayne Bank was a suspected pipeline for Mafia money from Crosby's casino in The Bahamas . By the 1960s, FBI agents monitoring the Mafia had identified Rebozo as
2891-575: Was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union. Mar-a-Lago was closed for five seasons. Post made only brief visits to Mar-a-Lago in the early 1940s and did not stay at the estate from 1941 to 1948. In April 1944 the house was turned into a training centre for returning servicemen. Post returned to Mar-a-Lago in 1948 and began to host social events again. Since 1957 it has traditionally hosted the International Red Cross gala. In 1961
2950-420: Was attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton , as well as many other celebrities and figures in media and broadcasting. According to financial disclosure forms filed by Trump, the Mar-a-Lago Club had $ 29.7 million in gross revenues in the period of June 2015 through May 2016. The club had revenues of $ 25.1 million for calendar year 2017, $ 22 million in 2018, and $ 21.4 million in 2019. In 2022, Forbes estimated
3009-458: Was built for the businesswoman and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post between 1924 and 1927, during the Florida land boom . At the time of her death in 1973, Post bequeathed the property to the National Park Service , hoping it could be used for state visits or as a Winter White House . However, because the costs of maintaining the property exceeded the funds provided by Post, and because it
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#17327981628293068-406: Was chosen by Mrs. Post to keep the main house from appearing too massive and to separate the family and service areas from those used for entertaining. The house is topped by a seventy-five foot, tile-roofed tower containing bedrooms, baths, and an observation deck commanding an extensive view of Palm Beach. Among the imported materials used were three boatloads of Doria stone from Genoa visible in
3127-446: Was difficult to secure the facility, the property was returned to the Post Foundation by act of Congress 96-586 on 23 December 1980. In 1985, Donald Trump, primarily a businessman and real estate investor at the time, acquired Mar-a-Lago and used it as a residence. In 1994, he converted it into the Mar-a-Lago Club, a members-only club with guest rooms, a spa, and other hotel-style amenities. The Trump family maintains private quarters in
3186-465: Was elected president, with $ 14,000 annual dues. Overnight guests paid up to $ 2,000 a night. The membership list of Mar-a-Lago has long been shrouded in secrecy. The 2020 book The Grifter's Club had access to old membership records from the club, which confirmed that Jeffrey Epstein had been a member until 2007, and reveals that he was expelled "after Epstein harassed the daughter of a member", according to another Mar-a-Lago member. The book alleges that
3245-441: Was filmed with Jeffrey Epstein at a party in Mar-a-Lago. The footage received attention following Epstein's arrest for sex trafficking in 2019, and video footage of Trump talking to Epstein in Mar-a-Lago appears in the 2020 mockumentary black comedy film Borat Subsequent Moviefilm . It was also alleged that Mar-a-Lago hosted an event for 28 women in 1992 where Trump and Epstein were the only male attendees. Further photographs of
3304-458: Was finished in 1927. At the time it was the most expensive non-royal residence built in history. Hutton and Post regularly used Mar-a-Lago as their winter residence, typically staying from mid January to late March. Post hosted dinner parties, charity events, concerts, costume balls , and a circus. In 1935, Hutton and Post divorced. Post married the Washington lawyer Joseph E. Davies , who
3363-750: Was made for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site on March 17, 1938. In 1960, the National Park Service took on the administration of the survey data gathered under this legislation, and the National Historic Landmark program began to take more formal shape. When the National Register of Historic Places was established in 1966, the National Historic Landmark program was encompassed within it, and rules and procedures for inclusion and designation were formalized. Because listings (either on
3422-755: Was reported that Trump was considering at least three club members for ambassadorships. In protest against Trump's remarks on the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia , six nonprofit organizations canceled scheduled gala events at the club. The charities canceling included the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society . National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark ( NHL )
3481-401: Was the first use of Mar-a-Lago to entertain an international leader, traditionally performed at the White House. On this weekend one of President Trump's first international security crises happened, a North Korean missile launch. Trump and Abe conferred in full view of the other diners. During the third weekend visit to Mar-a-Lago on February 17–20, President Trump conducted a campaign rally at
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