Inspiring Education Programs
Insightful Exhibitions
A Theatre With History
“Some think I do wrong to go to the opera and to the
theatre; but it rests me. I love to be alone, and yet to
be with people. A hearty laugh relieves me, and I seem
better able after it to bear my cross.” –Abraham Lincoln
During the Civil War, Ford’s Theatre provided respite for many. President
Abraham Lincoln visited the theatre on at least 10 formal occasions, finding
solace and escape from the burdens of the presidency. On April 14, 1865,
Lincoln visited Ford’s Theatre to see a performance of Our American Cousin.
At this performance, Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth entered
the Presidential Box and shot the president. Lincoln died the next morning
in the Petersen House, a boarding house located across the street.
Following Lincoln’s assassination, Ford’s Theatre remained dark for more than 100
years, officially reopening in 1968 as a national historic site and working theatre.
Ford’s Theatre Today
Through its inspiring theatrical productions, live historic interpretation, engaging
education programs and enriching exhibitions, Ford’s Theatre offers visitors the
opportunity to immerse themselves in America’s past while revealing meaningful
connections to today.
Season Sponsors:
Ford’s Theatre is operated through a public-private partnership between
Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service.
Cover L-R: Photo of William Diggle in 1776 by Carol Rosegg. Photo of Susan Heyward and Todd Gearhart in Sabrina Fair by T. Charles Erickson.
Photo of Carolyn Agan in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Scott Suchman. Background photo by James R. Brantley.