We all know and love the tradition of the White House Gingerbread House, so in honor of the great George Washington’s birthday, otherwise known as Presidents’ Day, we thought we’d see what other recreations of our favorite symbol of democracy might exist. From Southern mansions (yes, plural) to the Zweifel family’s labor of love to a miniature park in Austria, click through to see where and why so many recreations of our President’s Neoclassical abode have been made. It might have something to do with the fact that the American Institute of Architects ranked the White House second on their survey of “America’s Favorite Architecture“, just behind the Empire State Building. Then again, it might be that people are just plain weird. Be patriotic and let us know in the comments what tops your list of favorite American architecture.
Minimundus, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria
Image credit: Natter 17
Minimundas is a theme park on Lake Wörthersee in Austria to benefit Save the Children where “approximately 150 models of famous structures, trains, and ships take visitors on a trip around the world in miniature format.” Included in the park’s pint-sized offerings: the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, St Peter’s Basilica, the Statue of Liberty — and of course, the White House at a perfect 1:25 scale!
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My then-boyfriend and I met John Zweifel at the Smithsonian Museum of American History about 15 minutes after the conclusion of President Obama’s inauguration. (To avoid the throngs lined up for the bathrooms, we headed to the second floor, where he was sitting alone watching a video about the presidents in an alcove.) I don’t know how his project came up, but we sat and talked with him about his replica and the changes in decor he makes with each administration for over half an hour. Really nice, interesting guy. Cool experience. I hope to see this one day.
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