You probably think the Vice President has always lived in a fancy mansion on a hill. They haven't. Honestly, for most of American history, the person "one heartbeat away" from the presidency was basically a nomad. They lived in hotels. They bought their own houses. Sometimes they stayed in boarding houses. It wasn't until 1974 that Congress finally decided the home of the vice president should be a permanent, official residence.
But here is the kicker: the house wasn't even built for them.
Located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., Number One Observatory Circle is a stunning Queen Anne-style Victorian. It sits on 72 acres of high ground. It’s white, it’s wrap-around-porch-heavy, and it’s surprisingly cozy compared to the cold marble of the White House. But because it’s on a secure military installation, most people never see it. It’s the most famous house in D.C. that you’re not allowed to visit.
Why it took 200 years to find a home for the Vice President
Before the 1970s, the Vice President was expected to figure it out themselves. If you were wealthy, like Nelson Rockefeller, you lived in a literal palace. If you weren't, you lived in a rented suite at the Sheraton-Park Hotel. That's exactly where Spiro Agnew lived.
It was a security nightmare. Every time a new VP took office, the Secret Service had to go into a private neighborhood, tear up the driveway, install bulletproof glass, and set up command centers in the garage. It cost a fortune. By the time Gerald Ford was slated to move in, the government realized it was cheaper to just have one permanent home of the vice president instead of renovating a new private house every four or eight years.
They looked at several spots. There was talk of building a brand-new house on the grounds of the Naval Observatory, but that was too expensive. They looked at Admiral's House—the residence of the Chief of Naval Operations. It was already there. It was grand. It was secure. In 1974, they kicked the Admiral out and told the VP to move in.
The house that nobody wanted to live in at first
Interestingly, the first guy authorized to live there didn't even use it. Gerald Ford became President before he could move in. Then came Nelson Rockefeller. He was so rich that he used the home of the vice president only for entertaining. He stayed at his own massive estate on Foxhall Road. He actually donated a bed to the house that cost more than most people's cars at the time.
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Walter Mondale was the first Vice President to actually call the place home full-time. Since then, every VP from Bush to Harris has put their own stamp on the place.
Life inside Number One Observatory Circle
The house is about 9,000 square feet. That sounds huge, but in the world of D.C. mansions, it's actually somewhat modest. It feels like a home. There are six bedrooms. The second floor is the private residence, while the first floor is used for "public" events—though "public" usually means foreign dignitaries and members of Congress.
The kitchen? It’s famously small.
Jill Biden once noted that the kitchen was a bit of a squeeze for a family that loves to cook. But the real star is the veranda. It wraps around the house and offers views of the sloping green lawns of the Observatory. Because the house is located on a hill (one of the highest points in D.C.), it catches a breeze that the swampy White House never gets.
The hidden features you won't see on the news
Privacy is the name of the game here.
- The Bunker: After 9/11, rumors swirled about a massive underground bunker built beneath the house. While the government rarely confirms the specifics of Vice Presidential security, neighbors complained for months about heavy machinery and late-night construction noise. It's widely understood that the house is now a high-tech fortress.
- The Pool: Dan Quayle is the reason there is a swimming pool. He raised private money to build it because he wanted to keep his kids active. Every VP since then has been quietly grateful, especially in the brutal D.C. summers.
- The Garden: The Bidens added a "Family Heritage Garden," where the names of Vice Presidents and their family members (including the furry ones) are engraved on stones. It’s one of the few personal touches that survives from one administration to the next.
It is still a working Navy base
You can't just drive up to the home of the vice president. You have to pass through a gate manned by armed sailors. Because the house is on the grounds of the Naval Observatory, the Vice President is essentially a guest of the Navy.
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The Master Chief of the Navy actually runs the household staff. The chefs, the stewards, the people who keep the grass trimmed—they are all Navy personnel. This creates a very different vibe than the White House. It's more disciplined, perhaps a bit quieter. But there's also the Master Clock. The Naval Observatory is responsible for the official time for the entire United States. Literally, the most accurate clocks in the world are ticking away just a few hundred yards from where the Vice President sleeps.
How the home of the vice president changed over time
Every family leaves a mark. George H.W. Bush put in a horseshoe pit. Al Gore lived there during the tech boom of the 90s and reportedly had the place wired for the future. Dick Cheney spent a lot of time behind the scenes, and his tenure saw the most significant security upgrades in the house's history.
When Mike Pence moved in, he was known for hosting "listening sessions" on the back patio. Kamala Harris, meanwhile, oversaw a massive renovation shortly after moving in. The house is old. Victorian homes are beautiful, but they are maintenance nightmares. We are talking about old pipes, temperamental wiring, and chimneys that haven't been swept since the Reagan era. Harris stayed at Blair House (the President's guest house) for several months while the floors were refinished and the mechanical systems were brought into the 21st century.
Common misconceptions about the residence
A lot of people think the taxpayers pay for everything. Not quite.
While the Navy handles the maintenance and the building itself, the "personal" life of the Vice President is often on their own dime. If they want a specific kind of high-end snack or a fancy private dinner for friends, they are usually footing that bill. Also, the furniture on the first floor mostly belongs to the government—it's part of the permanent collection. If a VP wants to bring in their own sofa for the private quarters upstairs, they have to pay to move it in.
Another myth is that it's as big as the White House. It's not even close. The White House has 132 rooms. Number One Observatory Circle is a large house, but it’s still just a house. It’s intimate. It’s where Joe Biden reportedly used to host "beach parties" for the press corps by the pool, and where Second Gentlemen and Second Ladies have hosted everything from poetry readings to veterans' brunches.
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What happens when a VP moves out?
Moving day at the home of the vice president is a choreographed dance of chaos. Because the house is on a secure base, you can't just hire a random moving company from Yelp. Everything is vetted. Everything is scanned.
Usually, the outgoing VP is gone by the morning of the inauguration. The Navy staff then does a "deep clean" that would make a drill sergeant proud. They have a matter of hours to prep the rooms for the next family. It's a weird transition. One day the house smells like the Pence family's favorite candles, and the next, it's being filled with the Harris family's books and art.
How to actually see the house (sort of)
Since you can't take a public tour, your best bet is to keep an eye on the Naval Observatory’s public tours—though these are focused on the telescopes, not the VP's living room. However, the house is visible from Massachusetts Avenue if you look through the trees at just the right angle during the winter when the leaves are gone.
If you really want a look inside, the best resources are the historical photo archives of the White House Historical Association. They have documented the interior changes over the decades, showing how the "Admiral's House" transformed from a naval residence into a seat of executive power.
Actionable steps for the curious
If you're fascinated by the history of the home of the vice president, there are a few things you should actually do to see the nuance of this place:
- Check the White House Historical Association digital library: They have high-resolution photos of the 1970s renovations that most people have never seen.
- Read "Number One Observatory Circle" by Charles Denyer: This is the definitive book on the house. It contains interviews with former Vice Presidents and staff that you won't find in a Wikipedia entry.
- Look at the "Official Time" online: Visit the U.S. Naval Observatory website to see the Master Clock. It’s a fun way to connect with the actual work happening on the grounds where the VP lives.
- Walk the perimeter: If you're in D.C., walk along the fence line on Massachusetts Avenue. You’ll get a sense of the scale of the hill and why the Navy chose this spot for their telescopes back in the 1800s.
The house remains a symbol of the "second" office—important, slightly hidden, and constantly adapting to the person holding the title. It’s a Victorian relic wrapped in a high-tech security blanket, and it’s arguably the most interesting "office" in the world.