Mar-a-Lago, the posh Florida resort synonymous with Donald Trump , is likely one of the most famous clubs in the world.

A site for special events, glamorous weddings, Super Bowls and holiday parties, Mar-a-Lago has also gained a reputation as the site for significant political events, thanks to its famous, presidential owner.

It's also the backdrop of most of the president's weekend events. President Trump has spent all but two weekends since his re-election at his Florida home. Many of those weekends, the president had friends and colleagues in-tow , like special government employee and Tesla and SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk; and also first lady Melania Trump's father, Viktor Knavs.

By the end of March and only weeks into his second term, Trump had already spent seven weekends at Mar-a-Lago. Now that Donald Trump is president again, there’s intense interest in the Trump family — from Melania Trump to their only child Barron Trump — and in their iconic home.

During his first presidential term, Donald Trump dubbed Mar-a-Lago the "Southern White House" or "Winter White House," due to the amount of time he spent there.

Here’s what to know about the history of Mar-a-Lago, where it is and if the public can access the private club.

Who first built Mar-a-Lago? Who owned Mar-a-Lago originally?

Post Cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post was Mrs. Edward F. Hutton when she commissioned Marion Sims Wyeth to build her a 58-bedroom Spanish-Moorish-Portuguese-Venetian palace on 17 acres of jungle between the ocean and the Intracoastal.

By the time it was finished in 1927, Joseph Urban, a Viennese architect and theater designer, had provided much of the ornamentation.

Six hundred workers labored for more than three years to build Mar-a-Lago, using boatloads of Italian stone and about 36,000 antique Spanish and Portuguese tiles, as well as old marble floors and roof tiles from Cuba. The estate’s 75-foot tower is a South Florida landmark — and a navigational aid to boaters.

When she died in 1973, Post gave Mar-a-Lago to the U.S. government for a presidential retreat, but the government balked at its million-dollar-a-year maintenance cost and its location under the Palm Beach International Airport’s flight path.

Is Mar-a-Lago private or public? When does Mar-a-Lago open for the season?

Mar-a-Lago is a private club, and is generally not open to the public. The main entrance to the private club is on South Ocean Boulevard. To see Mar-a-Lago, you have to do a drive-by. People can park and walk by, though you'll be in the roadway.

It's not uncommon for people to pull over their cars to catch a view. It is, however, very dangerous because there is no sidewalk, and there's no shoulder on the side of the road.

Mar-a-Lago closes on Mother's Day after the traditional final brunch of the social season and reopens on Halloween.

How big is Mar-a-Lago?

Mar-a-Lago is 17 acres. It sounds like a lot for an estate, but there's a lot going on there.

In 1985, Donald Trump paid $10 million for the 17-acre estate. It originally boasted 33 bathrooms, three bomb shelters and a nine-hole golf course.

Ten years later, Trump updated the already-luxurious estate and converted it into an even-more ritzy private club with a spa, tennis and croquet courts, ballroom and a beach club.

The size of the living quarters at Mar-a-Lago are speculated to be somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet. The private club has around 500 members. The ballroom was completed in 2005.

Does Mar-a-Lago have a golf course?

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort and Club does not have a golf course on its campus, but Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach is less than 10 minutes away.

“Five minutes from The Mar-a-Lago Club sits the spectacular Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach. The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences awarded Trump International with the prestigious Five-Star Diamond Award, rating it the best golf course in Florida,” the Mar-a-Lago website says .

“This incredible golf course, designed by world-renowned architect, Jim Fazio, boasts 27 of the most magnificent golf holes anywhere and a clubhouse that has no rival in the state of Florida.”

It’s important to note that Mar-a-Lago is a private club, not a resort hotel that’s open to the public. A hefty membership fee is required to join, and Mar-a-Lago is like a country club for the uber-wealthy.

What does 'Mar-a-Lago' mean?

Mar-a-Lago, which means “Sea to Lake” in Spanish, sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.

How much money is Mar-a-Lago worth?

In 2018, Forbes estimated the value of the Mar-a-Lago estate at about $160 million.

In February 2024, Trump claimed that his Florida home was severely undervalued and claimed its value sits at $1 billion.

"A New York judge ruled that Donald Trump offered a 'fraudulent' valuation of his famed Palm Beach club and residence for the balance of a decade," The Palm Beach Post reported in 2024.

"Trump has said that his valuations were 'conservative.' During the legal battles, he said the Mar-a-Lago property was worth as much as $1 billion."

Where is Mar-a-Lago located in Florida?

The luxury estate, which spans 17 acres of prime waterfront real estate, is located in Palm Beach, Florida.

During Trump's first presidency and now during his second, his motorcade takes Southern Boulevard for his trips between the Palm Beach International Airport and Mar-a-Lago.

That also means that Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach County is often lined with some Trump supporters, protestors and anyone else who wants to catch a glimpse of the presidential motorcade that will escort Trump to and from his Florida home on the weekends he visits his Florida home.

What are some interesting Mar-a-Lago facts?

These quick hits were from the Palm Beach Post archives. Subscribe to the Palm Beach Post to read more fascinating stories about Mar-a-Lago, Trump and other Palm Beach coverage.

Security at Mar-a-Lago

There were a number of security breaches during Trump's first presidency, with some occurring when he wasn't in town.

Trump's second presidency has also seen a few attempts. In December 2024, shortly after he was re-elected, two people, a woman and a teenage boy, were arrested in separate trespassing incidents at the president-elect's private club.

In February, authorities arrested a man who jumped over a wall and onto the lawn of Mar-a-Lago one day before the president was scheduled to return to the Palm Beach estate.