WHITE HOUSE GIFTS FEATURE

from Washington D.C. NOW Visitor Guide Vol. III 2020-2021

by Essential Media Partners

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Jim Warlick, Owner of White House Gifts

Ladies and Gents! Meet the man, the myth, the legend- Jim Warlick of White House Gifts and Presidential Scoops.

A trip to Washington, DC to visit JFK’s grave sparked interest and an idea in a young man from North Carolina, and ultimately led him to owning one of DC’s busiest visitor spots, White House Gifts, a souvenir shop that can see up to 3,000 visitors a day.

Before building WHG up to the busy hotspot that it is now, Warlick found success in creating and selling Presidential Jimmy Carter buttons on the street. Even though there was a demand for buttons for Carter's opponent, Ronald Regan, Warlick stood firm in his decision to continue to sell only Carter buttons. With this success eventually came the idea for what would become one of six locations, “Political Americana,” this one having its opening at Union Station in 1989. The store wasn’t just famous for Presidential memorabilia like First Lady gowns, Kennedy’s shaving kit, but also for a replica of the White House’s Oval Office. Warlick currently has FIVE different Oval Office replicas. The DC based one is the crown jewel of WHG, it’s an exact replica–down to the inch of the Oval Office. The five vary from twelve to eighteen feet in height, and from a third of an oval to the full, three-hundred-and-sixtydegree shape, and takes about six people to put it together.

You might recognize another one of his Oval Office’s in the latest book from Alec Baldwin and Kurt Anderson, “You Can’t Spell America Without Me: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump.”

It is indeed one of Warlick’s Oval Office replicas on the cover and used throughout the book.

After guests get their picture taken in the Oval Office during their White House Gifts stop, they should head across the street to the newest venture by Warlick -”Presidential Scoops.” Customers can choose from sixteen different flavors, each named after a President.

What's next for Jim Warwick? He has recently auctioned off some of his famous memorabilia to raise funds for his newest venture- a museum in his hometown of North Carolina. Jim explains, “The most important thing left for me to do now is a history museum dedicated to honoring mill workers, furniture workers, hosiery mill and textile workers. My mother worked in the hosiery mill. Named ‘The Worker’s Legacy Exhibition,’ it is going to tell the history of all the workers and what their life was like back then.”

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White House Gifts and Presidential Scoops trips are absolutely essential during your visit to DC. Don’t forget to look your best for your debut in the Oval Office!