Are there secrets inside Mar-a-Lago? Why you can’t see for yourself inside the mansion
You’ve heard a lot about Mar-a-Lago in recent days. An FBI search. Responses from former President Donald Trump. Supporters gathering near the mansion waving flags and signs.
So what is Mar-a-Lago like?
Unless you’re on Trump’s guest list for a social affair, get invited as a dignitary or world leader, or pay for a private club membership (assuming you make the cut), the door is closed for you. This isn’t Vizcaya. That means, no public tours or a weekend cabana fee to use the pool or spa.
Does that mean that whatever happens in Mar-a-Lago stays in Mar-a-Lago? Seems so. Unless people share video, such as the one of the then-president pretending to conduct an orchestra at a Super Bowl party. Or unless the FBI releases documents revealing details about its search.
READ MORE: How Donald Trump changed a Palm Beach mansion
But even though you can’t get inside for a good look yourself, you can learn more about the mansion through its soap-opera-like history.
Here are some things to know (including the number of bathrooms):
Where is Mar-a-Lago?
The Mar-a-Lago mansion and club is on South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach. The town sits between the Intracoastal, a body of water known in the area as Lake Worth Lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean. The mansion and the town can be reached via several bridges from the much-larger and metropolitan city of West Palm Beach. “Mar-a-Lago” means sea to lake in Spanish. Palm Beach is best known as the home to millionaires and billionaries. Huge estates line the main road and a luxury shopping street, Worth Avenue, attracts people who can afford the shops and those who just want to window shop. Trump isn’t the first U.S. president to have a house in Palm Beach. President John Kennedy and his family also spent time at a mansion on the other end of the narrow town.
READ MORE: No signs, no gate, few guards: Are Mar-a-Lago intruders actually trespassing?
When did Donald Trump buy Mar-a-Lago
Trump, the real estate mogul, bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985 for about $10 million. His intention was to turn it into a private club, which he did about a decade later. He eventually moved into the mansion as a part-time resident. During his presidency, Trump declared himself a Florida man and made the mansion his primary residence.
READ MORE: Trump appears to gain edge in his ongoing dispute with Mar-a-Lago neighbors
When was Mar-a-lago built? How many toilets?
The 58-bedroom house was finished in 1927. after three years of construction. Oh, and it has 33 bathrooms.
Is Mar-a-Lago open to the public?
The mansion and club are private so there is no public access and no known tours. The best way to see it is by passing in a car, although the home and the grounds are set off from the main road. Supporters and protesters typically line one of the bridges across the Intracoastal to get their messages out because pedestrian access and parking are limited near the mansion.
