Ford's Theatre, Washington D.C.
Ford's Theatre is renowned for its association with the tragic event in which President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while attending a play on April 14, 1865. However, it didn't initially serve as a theater. Built in 1833 as the First Baptist Church of Washington's home, it later became a theater after John Ford renovated it. A fire in 1862 destroyed it, but it was quickly rebuilt.
In August 1863, the newly rebuilt Ford's Theater, with over 2,000 seats, hosted its first audience. President Lincoln, with his wife and friends, attended a play there in April. Amid post-Civil War tension, John Wilkes Booth, upset by the Confederacy's loss, entered the Presidential box and fatally shot Lincoln. Lincoln died the next day at the nearby Petersen House.
In response to President Lincoln's assassination, Congress acquired the theater and enacted legislation prohibiting its future use as a theater. The government repurposed the building for various functions, including storage and office space. Tragically, in 1893, a section of the structure collapsed, resulting in the tragic loss of 22 lives. The fire, assassination, and building collapse led to rumors of a curse, but repairs were made, and the building was used until 1931.
In the 1940s, there was growing awareness of the significant historical heritage at risk of being lost. However, it wasn't until 1955 that Congress passed legislation permitting the restoration of the theater. In 1968, Ford's Theatre was once again inaugurated as a functioning theater. Today, both the theater and the Petersen House are preserved together as a National Historic Site.
Tip:
Sit in the back of the theater; that way, when they open the door to the Peterson House across the street you can be one of the first in line.
Both the Peterson House and Ford's Theater have gift shops, with the former perhaps a better shop than the latter.
In August 1863, the newly rebuilt Ford's Theater, with over 2,000 seats, hosted its first audience. President Lincoln, with his wife and friends, attended a play there in April. Amid post-Civil War tension, John Wilkes Booth, upset by the Confederacy's loss, entered the Presidential box and fatally shot Lincoln. Lincoln died the next day at the nearby Petersen House.
In response to President Lincoln's assassination, Congress acquired the theater and enacted legislation prohibiting its future use as a theater. The government repurposed the building for various functions, including storage and office space. Tragically, in 1893, a section of the structure collapsed, resulting in the tragic loss of 22 lives. The fire, assassination, and building collapse led to rumors of a curse, but repairs were made, and the building was used until 1931.
In the 1940s, there was growing awareness of the significant historical heritage at risk of being lost. However, it wasn't until 1955 that Congress passed legislation permitting the restoration of the theater. In 1968, Ford's Theatre was once again inaugurated as a functioning theater. Today, both the theater and the Petersen House are preserved together as a National Historic Site.
Tip:
Sit in the back of the theater; that way, when they open the door to the Peterson House across the street you can be one of the first in line.
Both the Peterson House and Ford's Theater have gift shops, with the former perhaps a better shop than the latter.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Washington D.C.. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Ford's Theatre on Map
Sight Name: Ford's Theatre
Sight Location: Washington D.C., USA (See walking tours in Washington D.C.)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Sight Location: Washington D.C., USA (See walking tours in Washington D.C.)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Walking Tours in Washington D.C., USA
Create Your Own Walk in Washington D.C.
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The capital of the United States is home to several notable federal buildings that hold significant historical, architectural, and governmental value.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Among the stately “emblems of authority” in Washington D.C. perhaps the most prominent is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States – The White House. This resplendent mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... view more
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Washington D.C. Introduction Walking Tour
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia or simply The District, is the capital of the United States and, in many senses, America’s front yard. After the American Revolution, the need for the newly independent nation's federal government to have authority over a capital city and not rely on any state for its maintenance and safety, came in the wake of the Pennsylvania Mutiny of... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Arlington National Cemetery Tour
"The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example," a distinguished politician of the 19th century said once.
The historic military necropolis – the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – is the final resting place for many of America's heroes, whose willingness to sacrifice for their country has earned them the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
The historic military necropolis – the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – is the final resting place for many of America's heroes, whose willingness to sacrifice for their country has earned them the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Georgetown Walking Tour
Georgetown is a historic neighborhood situated in the northwest quadrant of Washington, DC. Despite its proximity to downtown, this former port area has preserved much of its distinct character. In Georgetown, "old-world charm meets modern allure," they say. Those poetically inclined tend to compare it to "a tapestry of cobblestone dreams and timeless grace."
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
DC Monuments and Memorials Walking Tour
"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years," goes the famous quote by Abraham Lincoln.
Indeed, those remembered in Washington, D.C. – the renowned statesmen, politicians, fallen soldiers, and other distinguished persons – had their years filled with life to the brim. What they left behind is a great legacy manifested in historic... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Indeed, those remembered in Washington, D.C. – the renowned statesmen, politicians, fallen soldiers, and other distinguished persons – had their years filled with life to the brim. What they left behind is a great legacy manifested in historic... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
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