Brochure | Page 4

Ford’s Theatre

©Photo by Maxwell MacKenzie

Ford’s Theatre celebrates the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln and explores the American
experience through theatre and education. A working theatre, historical monument, world-class
museum and learning center, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in Washington, D.C., to
explore and celebrate Lincoln’s ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality
and creative expression.
Ford’s Theatre History
In 1861, theatre manager John T. Ford leased out the abandoned First Baptist Church on Tenth Street
to create Ford’s Theatre. Over the next few years, the venue became a popular stage for theatrical
and musical productions. On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln visited Ford’s for a performance of
Our American Cousin. At this performance, Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth; he died the next
morning in the Petersen House, a boarding house located across the street. Ford’s Theatre remained
dark for more than 100 years, officially reopening in 1968 as a national historic site and working
theatre. It is operated through a public-private partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the
National Park Service.
Ford’s Theatre Today
Through its inspiring theatrical productions, live historic interpretation and engaging education
programs, Ford’s Theatre offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in America’s past
while revealing meaningful connections to today.
As a working theatre, Ford’s produces renowned plays, vibrant musicals and newly commissioned
works that captivate and entertain while examining political and social issues related to Lincoln’s
legacy. With works from the nationally acclaimed Big River to the world premieres of Meet John Doe,
The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith and Necessary Sacrifices, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark
on the American theatre landscape.
With the opening of the Center for Education and Leadership, Ford’s Theatre has become a major
center for learning, where people of all ages can examine Lincoln’s multi-faceted legacy through
exhibits, workshops, seminars and speakers as well as community outreach programs.
For more information on Ford’s Theatre and Ford’s Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org.

2 | Ford’s Theatre