Photo by Alexander Gardner
President Abraham Lincoln, photo taken Feb. 5, 1865.
History buffs, take note!
Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service have announced commemoration activities for the week of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination on-site at Ford’s Theatre, and throughout April. This year’s public programming includes expanded activities and opportunities for engagement in the museum and online. Tickets for entry to the entire Ford’s Theatre campus through May 26 are available for advance reservation at www.fords.org. A limited number of in-person tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis from the Ford’s Theatre box office.
On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary, attended a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre. During the performance he was shot and mortally wounded by noted actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. The president was carried across Tenth Street to the boarding house of William Petersen, where he died at 7:22 a.m. the following morning.
Photo by Andrew J. Russell
President's Car built by Construction Corps at Alexandria, Va. Photograph shows Engine W.H. Whiton pulling railroad coach built for President Lincoln at Alexandria, Virginia, railroad yard.
The funeral train that would carry Lincoln’s body in doleful parade to most of the Union’s statehouses, to be viewed by millions, the White House Historical Association notes. Less than two weeks before, Lincoln had declined to use the brand-new presidential car, built in Alexandria, for his triumphal trip to fallen Richmond, believing it too opulent and thus the wrong tone for the occasion. The painted decorations of the car, itself lost in a fire, survive in the Union Pacific Railroad Historical Museum, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
“At Ford’s, we take very seriously the responsibility to inspire the next generation of leaders,” said Paul R. Tetreault, director of Ford's Theatre. “Commemorating the assassination of Abraham Lincoln provides the opportunity to explore how the tragic event impacted our nation and examine Lincoln’s continued legacy, in addition to celebrating the life of a great American leader.”
“Each year, the National Park Service and our partners at Ford’s Theatre Society gather to remember the tragic night of April 14, 1865, and to honor the enduring legacy of President Abraham Lincoln,” said Kevin Griess, superintendent of the National Park Service’s National Mall and Memorial Parks. “By commemorating this history, we ensure that future generations continue to learn from Lincoln’s life, his ideals and the sacrifices made to preserve our nation.
Visits to Ford’s Theatre, Ford’s Theatre Museum and the Petersen House are self-guided and open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The historic site will be open all day on April 14 and 15, with two One Destiny performances on each day. Visit www.fords.org for details on entry schedule and availability.
Commemoration Activities
- Virtual Field Trip: Ford’s Theatre and the Lincoln Assassination: Monday, April 14, 1 p.m. ET, a public offering for students in grades 5 and up. Learn the story of Lincoln’s assassination from the place where it happened. Explore the world of Civil War Washington, D.C., the events leading up to the night of the assassination and its lasting legacies. During this program, participants will look closely at historical and contemporary images including maps, photographs and illustrations. This program is effective for students looking for an introduction to the Lincoln assassination story. Register here.
- Ranger Guided Walking Tours: Monday, April 14, 2 p.m.; Tuesday, April 15, 2 p.m. Join a National Park Service ranger for a 35-minute walking tour of the Ford’s Theatre neighborhood exploring sites that both Lincoln and his assassin would have recognized in 1865. See how much has changed and why we continue to remember Lincoln's Legacy. Meet the ranger by the large lamp post outside the main theatre entrance doors.
- Petersen House Evening Open House: Monday, April 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (free, no registration required, tours every 30 minutes) Commemorate the 160th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by joining a National Park Service ranger for an immersive evening tour of the Petersen House, where the mortally wounded Lincoln was taken from Ford's Theatre and where he died the following morning. This 30-minute guided tour will go beyond the familiar elements of the assassination to uncover intimate stories of Petersen House and the people who were there on the night of Lincoln's death. Group size is limited to 10 people per tour.
- PBS’ Hidden Histories Explores Ford’s Theatre: This month, PBS and Ford's Theatre explore President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in an exclusive, three-part video series on social media. Follow along on our Facebook and Instagram.
1. April 14 Hidden Histories: Lincoln’s Assassination
2. April 22 Hidden Histories: Lincoln Artifacts
3. April 29 Hidden Histories: Ask A Ford’s Theatre Ranger
- One Destiny: April 14-15 Learn about Lincoln’s assassination from two men who were there. Actor Harry Hawk and Ford’s Theatre co-owner Harry Ford revisit the events of April 14, 1865. As they reconstruct the sequence of events, they grapple with the question: Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped? This 40-minute one-act play explores the key facts of the assassination while capturing the emotions of that fateful night. The 2025 cast features Jonathan Atkinson and Joe Mallon and shows run through May 17. Purchase tickets here. One Destiny is also available on demand. Purchase on demand access here.
- Wreath Laying at Petersen House: Tuesday, April 15, 7:22 a.m. The mortally wounded Lincoln was brought directly across the street to the Petersen House and died there the next morning. Join a National Park Service ranger outside the Petersen House at 7:22 a.m. to place a memorial wreath marking the moment of the president’s death 160 years ago.
- Congressional Cemetery Speaker Series In collaboration with Congressional Cemetery: Saturday, April 19, 1-2:30 p.m. The story of our 16th president’s assassination is a well-known one. Thousands of books, articles and special exhibits are just some of the ways this story has been told. But have you ever seen the story told using the graves of those involved with the assassination? Part-speaking engagement and part-docent-led tour, the Cemetery Speaker Series features keynote remarks on the Lincoln assassination from Ford’s Theatre’s Associate Director of Education and Public Programs Alex Wood, followed by a complementary docent-led tour of the gravesites of individuals related to the assassination, including David Herold, Charles Forbes and others. Tickets are $10. Space is limited. Register here.
- History on Foot – Investigation: Detective McDevitt: Throughout April and May (dates include April 14-15) On the night of April 14, 1865, Detective James McDevitt was on duty at the Washington Metropolitan Police headquarters, one half-block from Ford’s Theatre. Just before 10:30 p.m., frantic witnesses rushed in with horrifying news: President Lincoln had been shot at the theatre. Join Detective McDevitt as he revisits the sites and reexamines the clues from the investigation into the Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy. This walking tour of downtown Washington, D.C. makes eight stops across 1.6 miles from Ford’s Theatre to the White House. Wear comfortable shoes. Tickets are $20. Purchase tickets here.
- Virtual Investigation: Detective McDevitt: Thursday, April 24, 1 p.m. ET For grades 5 and up. Assist Detective James McDevitt as he investigates the assassination of President Lincoln. Revisit sites and reexamine clues from April 14, 1865. In this interactive, theatrical program, participants will interact with historical characters portrayed by an actor, examine primary sources images and hear witness statements to determine who is guilty of this heinous crime. Register here.
Online Resources
Ford’s Theatre online resources are available any time for history fans and learners of all ages. A full list is available at www.fords.org/teaching-and-learning/education-resources and www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination.
Teaching Lincoln’s Assassination and Legacy: Online resource: www.fords.org/teaching-and-learning/teaching-lincolns-assassin-and-legacy Ford’s Theatre Education is relaunching its Teaching Lincoln’s Assassination and Legacy webpage in April! The new page will feature a new set of engaging resources to help students explore the Lincoln assassination, the trial of the conspirators, and Lincoln’s enduring legacy. These materials include a short dynamic video, a student led activity in a customizable Google Slides format, a note catcher for students, and a teacher answer key—all designed to make history more interactive and accessible. This new collection will provide a deeper understanding of one of the most pivotal moments in American history, encouraging critical thinking and discussion. Find this resource here.
Lincoln’s Assassination
Online resource: www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination A popular 26-year-old actor, Confederate sympathizer and white supremacist named John Wilkes Booth had plotted for months to abduct President Abraham Lincoln and give the Confederacy another chance. Three days before the assassination, hearing the president talk of his plans to bring the nation together—in particular, Lincoln’s plans to grant some African American men the right to vote—Booth’s plans turned murderous.
Lincoln’s Death
Online resource: www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/lincolns-death: After John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre, soldiers carried Lincoln across Tenth Street, so that he could pass his last moments peacefully, surrounded by those who knew him best. He died in the Petersen family’s boarding house at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865.
Investigating the Assassination
Online resource: www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/investigating-the-assassination Why did John Wilkes Booth assassinate President Abraham Lincoln? How did investigators learn what happened and why? Join Detective McDevitt as he conducts his investigation.
The Vigil on Tenth Street
View online: www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/lincolns-death/night-on-10th-street After soldiers carried President Abraham Lincoln into the Petersen's boarding house, a crowd gathered outside on 10th Street to await word. What would happen to their beloved leader? What would happen to the country? Explore the only first-person representation of the scene, and see what eyewitnesses had to say.
Impact on a Nation
View online: www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/impact-on-a-nation News of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination spread quickly across the United States and beyond in 1865. Many grieved, but others celebrated the death of a man they considered a tyrant. Reactions to Lincoln’s assassination varied and did so in ways that might surprise us. Use this page to investigate how people around the United States and world reacted. What do their feelings about Lincoln’s assassination tell us about how they saw the larger questions facing the United States as its Civil War drew to a close?
Lincoln’s Funeral Train
View online: www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/impact-on-a-nation/lincoln-s-funeral An estimated seven million people turned out in 11 cities to mourn the slain Lincoln as his funeral train carried his body back to Springfield, Illinois. See where his funeral train traveled.
Ford’s Theatre History
View online: www.fords.org/lincolns-assassination/fords-theatre-history What should happen to a site where a violent event like Lincoln’s assassination takes place? Since 1865, people have answered that question in many different ways. Explore how Ford's Theatre and Petersen House have changed since the 1830s.
Remembering Lincoln: A Digital Collection of Responses to the Lincoln Assassination: In 1865, as people around the nation and around the world learned of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, they recorded their reactions in many forms—from written materials like diaries and letters to decorative items like ribbons and flags. Discover personal items and remembrances from the Americans whose lives were touched by the president’s death and its national and international aftermath. This website includes more than 850 primary sources drawn from more than 40 libraries, archives, museums and private collections. The website also includes educational resources to make the collection useful to teachers and students. The collection is viewable online at rememberinglincoln.fords.org.
Civil War Washington Through the Eyes of Mary Henry (Video): Explore the city of Washington, D.C. during the Civil War through the eyes of Mary Henry, a young woman who lived in the Smithsonian castle. Recommended for 8th-12th grade students studying the Civil War and Washington D.C. History, this video includes primary source texts and images. An accompanying student activity is available. Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EETFPrfWepk
Explore the History of Ford’s Theatre on Google Arts and Culture: artsandculture.google.com/partner/fords-theatre
Listen to Ford’s Education Programs Manager Alex Wood on BBC Sounds’ “Lady Killers” podcast, hosted by Lucy Worsley. She spoke with Howard University Professor of History Dr. Nikki Taylor for an episode about Mary Surratt’s role in the Lincoln assassination plot that also featured the Mary Surratt House. The podcast is available here.
Explore educational resources from CSPAN Bell Ringer inspired by our 2024 elevated book talk, Written Then, Spoken Now: African American Letters to Lincoln. It features Dr. Edna Greene Medford, Dr. Jonathan W. White and Denise J. Hart. Lesson plans and expanded activities explore previously unheard African American voices in Lincoln’s history. View a recording of the event.
Ford’s Theatre Society
One of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital, Ford’s Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in the nation’s capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s life and legacy.
Ford’s Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford’s as a living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatre-going public have recognized Ford’s for the superior quality of its artistic programming.
With works from the Tony-nominated Come From Away and the nationally acclaimed Big River, to the world premieres of Grace, Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith, Necessary Sacrifices, The Widow Lincoln and The Guard, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. Under the current leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Phebe N. Novakovic and through the lens of Lincoln’s leadership and legacy, Ford’s today endeavors to advance Lincoln’s “unfinished work” with programs and performances that cultivate empathy, encourage dialogue and bridge divides in American life.
For more information on Ford’s Theatre and the Ford’s Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org.
National Mall and Memorial Parks
The National Park Service’s National Mall and Memorial Parks preserves, protects, and interprets the symbolic and monumental civic spaces, commemorative works and historic sites in the center of the Nation’s Capital that honor American ideals and values, distinguished public figures, and military and civilian sacrifices and contributions. On the National Mall these sites include Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, World War II Memorial and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. National Mall and Memorial Parks also serves as a public park and open space for active civic and cultural engagement, recreation and public enjoyment.
For more information about the National Park Service and Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, please visit www.nps.gov/foth.
