Things to do nearFord's Theatre

Ford's Theatre occupies a place in American memory unlike almost any other building in Washington, District of Columbia. Originally opened as a Baptist church in the 1830s and later converted into a performance venue by impresario John T. Ford, the theatre was the site of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination on the evening of April 14, 1865. After that night, the federal government took control of the building and used it for office and storage purposes for decades before a major restoration effort in the mid-twentieth century returned it to its Victorian-era appearance. Today the site is operated by the National Park Service alongside a nonprofit partner, and it functions simultaneously as a working theatre and a national historic landmark.

The basement museum holds a thoughtfully curated collection of artifacts directly tied to the events of that April evening, including the derringer used by John Wilkes Booth and clothing worn by Lincoln. The theatre floor itself has been meticulously restored, and the presidential box draped in period bunting remains the focal point of the room. Across Tenth Street, Petersen House, where Lincoln was carried after being shot and where he died the following morning, is open to visitors as part of the same experience.

Beyond its historical role, Ford's Theatre maintains an active performance season focused on stories drawn from American history and culture, giving the space a vitality that purely museum-oriented sites rarely achieve. The combination of scholarship, preservation, and living performance makes Ford's Theatre one of the most genuinely layered destinations in the capital.