Mrs. Madison began hosting the weekly receptions in the now-Red Room of the White House in 1809. Mrs. Madison invited, “all whom fashion, fame, beauty, wealth, or talents, have render’d celebrated,” said one guest. The first lady set a welcoming, democratic tone for the evenings, conversing with guests from opposing political parties, remembering their names, and making them feel at home.

Writer Washington Irving wrote that during her receptions, Mrs. Madison had “a smile and a pleasant word for everybody.” 

The Red Room is one of three parlor rooms on the State Floor and serves as a setting for informal and formal events.