The White House picnic table..what you didn't know

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

We know the President will have a meeting with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge Police Sergeant James Crowley at the White House on Thursday evening. And we know the meeting is going to be at the picnic table on the South Lawn. But here are some fun facts about the picnic table that you might not know:

• The picnic table comes with the swing set, made by a South Dakota company. The set includes four swings, a slide, a climbing wall, two green canopy covered "penthouses" and the picnic table which sits next to it. In the picnic table itself are bronze plaques containing the names of all 44 US Presidents
• It arrived at the White House on March 4 2009 making it a new addition to this White House. The previous administration did not have the swing set nor the picnic table
• The table is in at least one White House released photo by Pete Souza with President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton sitting at the table
• The table is made of cedar and redwood
• The benches for the table are attached
• The Rainbow Play system made the swing set and picnic table
• The cost for a "typical" swing set such as this one is approximately $3500.00
• The White House has not said what kind of beer will be served. Reportedly Sergeant Crowley prefers Blue Moon and Professor Gates like Red Stripe or Becks. The President last had a beer in public at the MLB All-Star Game where he drank a Budweiser
• The White House has not said if the men will also enjoy snacks such as pretzels, peanuts or potato chips