Simple Civics
What even is the Situation Room?
10/14/2025 | 2m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
There are many rooms in The White House, but only one specifically designed for times of crisis.
America's presidential palace has 132 individual rooms, each serving a unique purpose. While 35 of these rooms are bathrooms, there's also a theater, a restaurant, and even a bowling alley! But after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, JFK ordered the construction of a Situation Room, in order to keep the president informed. Learn what happens inside, in this episode of Simple Civics!
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Simple Civics is a local public television program presented by WFYI
Simple Civics
What even is the Situation Room?
10/14/2025 | 2m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
America's presidential palace has 132 individual rooms, each serving a unique purpose. While 35 of these rooms are bathrooms, there's also a theater, a restaurant, and even a bowling alley! But after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, JFK ordered the construction of a Situation Room, in order to keep the president informed. Learn what happens inside, in this episode of Simple Civics!
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipThe White House has 132 individual rooms, each serving a specific purpose.
While 35 of these rooms are... well... bathrooms.
There's also a movie theater, a restaurant, a gym, a chocolate shop, a flower shop, a game room, and even a bowling alley!
Besides the Oval Office, one room shows up in pop culture time and time again, the Situation Room, and for good reason!
Renovated in 2023, the Situation Room is where the president not only makes decisions, but where they conduct diplomacy with other nations.
Contrary to its title, the Situation Room is actually a collection of rooms on the ground floor of the West wing.
It is home to several conference rooms, small private offices for phone calls, the Watch Floor, and finally the main conference room.
The Watch Floor is essentially the command center of U.S.
intelligence, filled with high-end workstations, each with several monitors facing a wall of digital displays.
Here, informants keep their eyes and ears on world affairs and alert the president and other officials in case of an emergency.
The people that work in this room are apolitical, and work tirelessly to inform the president and serve the nation.
Inside the main conference room, several large monitors line the walls.
These are used to show relevant data for presidential meetings as well as conducting video calls with other world leaders.
The room is entirely soundproof and ultra high security.
Nobody is allowed to have cell phones or any other electronic devices, and access to the space is restricted to anyone except the president's military and national security advisors.
However, The White House didn't always have this area.
After the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, President John F Kennedy ordered the construction of the Situation Room in order to help keep the president informed.
While it's not as fun as the bowling alley, the Situation Room is certainly just as exciting.
Do you want a Situation Room in your house?
Or would you settle for 35 bathrooms?
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Simple Civics is a local public television program presented by WFYI