Visiting Ford’s Theatre and the House Abraham Lincoln Died In
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A couple weeks ago, I visited Ford’s Theatre and the house where Abraham Lincoln died. They’re both located in Washington, DC directly across the street from each other. I’ll be honest, I had no idea prior to this that Ford’s Theatre is in DC. It was my uncle’s idea to go, and since I love anything history related, I was all for it.
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Planning Your Visit
Visiting is completely free. But, you will need to get a ticket to go inside the theatre and the house. You can get tickets online before you go (this is what they recommend on their website). However, we just showed up on a Sunday afternoon and got tickets when we arrived.
When we went, we took the metro. The theatre is conveniently located near the Metro Center metro station and the Gallery Place/Chinatown metro station. We took the Gallery Place/Chinatown metro station just because of where we were coming from. The metro works a lot like NYC’s subways where you can easily just tap to pay to hop on and off.
Our Visit To The Theatre
The ranger talk inside the theatre was engaging and extremely informative. I’ve watched a handful of documentaries about the assassination., but most of the ones that I’ve watched in recent years have focused on John Wilkes Booth and the hunt for him after. I learned a lot of details I didn’t know prior to visiting.
For example, I was surprised to find out that Lincoln didn’t die in the theatre. They rushed him out of the theatre after he was shot. Since there was nothing they could do for him medically, the main goal was just to keep him comfortable until he passed. They brought him into the Petersen House across the street. He didn’t die until NINE hours later. I was absolutely shocked.
What’s interesting about the theatre is that nothing inside it is original anymore. The building was gutted it after the assassination. Then, it was used as a warehouse and government office. It wasn’t until 1964-1668 that it was restored to its 1865 appearance. I’ve visited many historic sites, so while I was disappointed it wasn’t original inside, I wasn’t exactly shocked. It’s pretty common for buildings to be changed throughout the years.
Another interesting thing about the theatre is the fact that it’s an active theatre. You can still see shows there. But, nobody can sit in the box where Lincoln would have been sitting. The other box is available though. Also, the seats throughout the theatre are modernized for comfort.
If you’re looking to get a good view of the box Lincoln would have been sitting in, I recommend going up to the balcony and going all the way to the left. By sitting here, you’ll get a straight on view of the box. This is where we sat.
Our Visit To The Petersen House
After the ranger talk, you’re able to go into the house where Lincoln died. It’s located directly across the street from Ford’s Theatre. Since everyone who was in the ranger talk also gets to go there, you will need to wait in line.
We didn’t rush over there so there was already a line formed by the time we got there. You’ll need to show your ticket to get inside, so make sure you don’t lose it between Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House.
Inside the house, you’ll find some displays about who lived in the house, what it looked like, and about Lincoln’s family. I saw that Robert Todd Lincoln, Lincoln’s oldest son, was there to console his mother the night it happened. I had learned a lot about Robert Todd Lincoln earlier this year when I visited his house, Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, in Manchester, Vermont.
As you continue through the house, you’re able to go into the room where Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865. It was very sobering being in that room.
After that room, you’ll continue on and head upstairs via an elevator. Upstairs in the Ford’s Theatre Society Center for Education and Leadership building (directly next to the Petersen House), you’ll find various exhibits that detail the aftermath of Lincoln’s death from Lincoln’s funeral train to the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. There’s a lot to see.
Another point of interest is the tower of books in the center of the staircase. The tower represents a fraction of the more than 15,000 books written about Abraham Lincoln. They’re not actual books though, just replicas.
After you finish looking at the various exhibits, you’ll exit downstairs through the gift shop.
Are These Spots Worth Visiting?
It’s a bit morbid, so this definitely isn’t for everyone. But, it is a part of history, which isn’t always pretty. I think they’re worth visiting if you’re interested in American history, Abraham Lincoln, or true crime. You are truly stepping into a piece of history when you visit these sites.
There is a museum inside Ford’s Theatre that we unfortunately didn’t get to visit. If we had gotten there a half hour earlier, I was told we would have been able to go into the museum. If we wanted to go into the museum, we would have had to wait thirty minutes, and we just didn’t have the time to wait around because it was our last stop of the day.
Inside that museum, there are exhibits about Lincoln’s presidency, Civil War milestones, and the assassination conspiracy led by John Wilkes Booth. This is something I’d definitely be interested in seeing in the future.
