Visiting Ford's Theatre

About Ford's Theatre

Abraham Lincoln was shot in the presidential box here on 14 April 1865. The restored theatre still stages plays, the basement museum displays the assassin's pistol, and across 10th Street the Petersen House shows the room where Lincoln died the next morning.

Tip: Book the self-guided visit that includes the Petersen House and the Center for Education and Leadership with its tower of books about Lincoln.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 1.5 hours.
• Cost: Low cost.
• Book ahead: Timed tickets are released online for a small fee and sell out on spring days dominated by school groups.
• Where: Penn Quarter, museums, theatres and the Capital One Arena between the Mall and Chinatown.

Best time to visit Ford's Theatre

Ford's Theatre is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:

• March: 14°C (57°F) highs, about 11 rainy days, busy crowds.
• May: 24°C (75°F) highs, about 11 rainy days, busy crowds.
• April: 20°C (68°F) highs, about 11 rainy days, very busy crowds.

When to visit Washington, D.C. has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Ford's Theatre is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen National Mall and Lincoln Memorial.

• No. 16 of the 20 sights in our Washington, D.C. things-to-do list.

Near Ford's Theatre

Also in Penn Quarter, so you can walk between them:

• National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum — 2 hours, free

If you like Ford's Theatre

• United States Capitol — Capitol Hill, 1.5–2 hours
• National Museum of African American History and Culture — National Mall, 4–5 hours
• Library of Congress (Jefferson Building) — Capitol Hill, 1–1.5 hours
• National Museum of American History — National Mall, 2–3 hours

Staying near Ford's Theatre

Stay in National Mall and Penn Quarter ($$$) to walk here: museums, theatres and the Capital One Arena between the Mall and Chinatown. All areas to stay in Washington, D.C..

Questions travellers ask