Trump indictment and Mar-a-Lago: How much is membership, what it's like inside, do you see Melania?

Mar-a-Lago is the place where a 37-count indictment said it pretty much all happened. Meaning allegations that former President Trump illegally took top secret, secret and classified documents, improperly stored them and then obstructed efforts by the federal government to retrieve them.

Trump has steadfastly stated he is innocent and claims the allegations are a hoax and a witch hunt to interfere in the 2024 election in which polls show he is the leading candidate for the Republican Party nomination.

The nearly 50-page indictment released last week, however, didn't just list the facts as special counsel Jack Smith and his investigative team saw them. The indictment read almost like a real estate listing prying open the curtains on Mar-a-Lago, a private club for some of the wealthiest people not just on the island of Palm Beach but around the world.

Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most from readers about the property that served as the so-called Southern White House during Trump's single term in the White House.

What we know: The rooms where it happened at Mar-a-Lago in Trump indictment

Trump documents investigation: A timeline on how we got from a raid to an indictment

"Sheer coincidence": Trump's loyal supporters react with a similar refrain to indictment

How much does an annual membership to Mar-a-Lago?

The short answer is only the members really know since the club is so exclusive it's not like there is a list of dues, fees or pricing packages on its website, which you can access by clicking here.

The Palm Beach Post has reported the following based on what members have told us: the initial membership fee is around $200,000, and then annual dues have ranged just under $20,000.

In 2017, CNBC had reported that the initial fee was dropped to $100,000 in 2012. The network reported Mar-a-Lago members said the discount was offered after the Bernie Madoff financial scandal sapped so much their wealth. The fee was raised again to $200,000 after Trump was elected president in 2016, and his frequent travels to the club as POTUS raised questions of whether memberships were being purchased by special interests seeking access to him.

While the club is only open to members and their guests, the general public can visit if they have purchased a ticket to one of the many philanthropic or fundraising events that take place on the property during the winter social season. Those tickets run from hundreds to thousands of dollars each.

Where on the property does Trump speak, such as at political events like his presidential campaign announcement?

In the past six months, Trump's major speeches at Mar-a-Lago, such as his 2024 campaign announcement in November and his remarks to the country after being arraigned on felony charges in New York, took place at the Donald J. Trump ballroom.

That event space is the largest on the property. It's on the northern end of the compound, which faces west toward the intracoastal.

What's it like inside Mar-a-Lago?

It's an opulent country club setting with a lot of gold trimming and fixtures, including the toilet paper roll covers.

But it's also a classic example of the Mediterranean-style architecture popular in South Florida in the past century. If you've been to places like, say the Vizcaya palace in Miami, you'll see similar facade features.

Once at Mar-a-Lago, the experience depends on why you are there.

If you are there for dinner, you could be seated in one of the various settings, including a large hall, several smaller rooms or the outdoor patio. We've seen Trump dining in the middle of the main hall on one of the round tables but also in a more secluded nook in the main dining area that looks like a small stage.

The patio, on breezy, cool evenings during Palm Beach's mild winters, offers an inviting dining option. Cocktail parties are generally held in the pool area, sometimes under a large canopy in the event the weather may become inclement.

Evenings at the club are formal and business attire. Galas often resemble throwbacks to Great Gatsby-like functions with men in designer tuxedoes and women in fashionable long gowns.

What is security like at Mar-a-Lago?

That's a question with many answers, some seemingly contradictory, and they are all correct.

When Trump was president, the level of security was way more heightened when he was on the property. The U.S. Secret Service maintained a checkpoint in a nearby parking lot. There, cars were stopped and reviewed while dogs sniffed and mirrors checked the vehicle's under carriage. The name of the visitor was cross-checked on a list.

In addition to federal agents, Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputies and Town of Palm Beach police officers provided other vigilance.

That said, some potentially serious, high-profile breeches occurred, including the arrest of a Chinese woman that became a highly-watched court saga.

These days, the Secret Service is present whenever Trump is at the property but security is less intense. One on visit this spring, a reporter entered a gate and was escorted by a private security guard to a parking spot. On another occasion last fall, a Secret Service SUV blocked the entrance until credentials were checked.

The Trump documents case, critics have said, highlights a key issue. Namely, unlike other former presidents who live in more secluded ranches or private homes, Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence doubles as a for-profit commercial venture. The indictment, for example, noted that between January 2021 and August of 2022 the club hosted roughly 150 events, including galas, movie premieres political events and weddings, that drew thousands of people.

What does membership get you?

According to the website, the range of dining options includes an "extraordinary culinary experience" that features "Continental, New World, Classical and New Caribbean" menus. There are also "themed dinners," fashion shows with luncheons, including a champagne reception and a "six star seafood" night on Wednesdays.

A membership also includes access to amenities like the spa, nearby beach club, guest suites, luxury transportation and a boutique.

The there's golf, and lots of the popular sport. A Mar-a-Lago membership gets you into any of Trump's 15 golf clubs in the United States as well as Scotland and Dubai.

Do members see Trump and Melania?

Yes, and they get to visit with them, too. Trump has been known to also show up to private events, including weddings and those charitable galas and luncheons. When he was president, members also saw Cabinet members and other top officials on the property.

Political partisanship aside — yes, Trump elicits deeply held passions pro and con — by all accounts he is a gracious and hospitable host and very proud of the club, from aesthetics to service.

Mar-a-Lago is Trump's residence. What does that mean legally?

New York man Trump became Florida man Trump in 2019 when he and Melania, then the first lady, moved their official residence to the Sunshine State. That doesn't mean Trump gave up his place in Manhattan. Rather, it just means that his legal residence is in state of Florida.

As such, he is now a Florida registered voter and casts his ballot in this state. It also means he no longer has to pay state income taxes in New York. That's an especially important perk in light of the 2017 tax reform law Trump signed as president and which eliminated the ability of people in states with income taxes to deduct those payments from their federal returns.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mar-a-Lago is Trump's home. What that means, how much do members pay?