This post is a visitor's guide to tickets and tours for Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC.
It's also a preview of what's to see in the museums, the theater, and the Peterson House, where Abraham Lincoln died.
- Tour Tickets and Hours
- Theatre Museum
- About the Theatre
- Peterson House
- Education Center
- Plays and Performances
FORD'S THEATRE HOURS
Ford’s Theater is one of the most iconic sites in Washington, D.C.
Visiting the theater and retracing the final hours of Abraham Lincoln’s life is an experience that you will remember for a lifetime.
This section lists the information you need to visit or take a tour.
Opening Hours
DAILY
- Box Office: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (8:00 pm for performances)
- Historic Site Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
The final entry into the museum is at 4:00 pm.
Ford’s Theatre is a working theater, so please note that occasionally the theater may be closed due to performances or rehearsals as well as private events.
Tickets
To visit Ford’s Theatre you will need a ticket.
The theater is technically free, but you will need to pay a convenience fee to get an advanced reservation. These tickets cost $3.
Ticket Options:
- Online Advance Tickets: Cost $3/ticket for individuals. We recommend this option during peak spring and summer seasons if you have a limited amount of time.
- Phone: (888) 616 - 0270
TIP: Every morning, the theater's box office opens at 8:30 am and they distribute day-of tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis. These are very limited.
We would encourage you to get in line early to ensure that you get a time that works for your schedule.
Tickets Generally Include:
- Access to the main theater for either a 15 min lecture from a U.S Park Service Ranger about the Lincoln Assassination or a lecture from a Park Service Ranger or a "walk-through" Q&A session with a Park Service volunteer.
- Admission to the Petersen Boarding House (The House Where Lincoln Died).
- Admission to the new Education Center, which traces the impact of Lincoln’s assassination and his legacy today.
Depending on the time of day and Ford’s theatrical performance schedule, your ticket may or may not include access to the main museum in the theater's basement.
You can find the schedule for up to two months on Ford's Theatre's website.
Audio Guides:
Ford’s Theatre offers the chance to add an audio guide to any ticket ($5/guide).
You can purchase tickets with the audio guide when you pre-order tickets online or you can add it at the time you arrive at the theater for your entry time.
FORD'S THEATRE MUSEUM
If your ticket includes a visit to the basement museum, this will be the first place you go after being permitted to enter Ford's Theater campus.
The museum combines artifacts, 3-dimensional figures, and interactive exhibits to recreate Civil War in Washington, DC.
Below is a list of the exhibits covered in the museum, a map of the museum layout, and a virtual tour video.
- 1861 plot to assassinate President-Elect Lincoln
- Lincoln Presidential Cabinet
- Lincoln's controversial use of wartime presidential powers
- Life in the Lincoln White House
- Lincoln's relationship with Frederick Douglas
- Lincoln's love of the theater
- John Wilkes Booth and the assassination conspiracy
Highlights of the Museum Artifacts
There are too many artifacts to list, but below are some of the highlights of the museum.
The museum houses several of the artifacts found in John Wilkes Booth's possession when he was killed by the U.S. Army Calvary, including his diary, a compass, and some photographs of lady friends.
But the prized possession is the single-shot Derringer used to assassinate Lincoln.
The museum also houses several artifacts on Lincoln's possession on that fateful night, including a $5 bill of Confederate States of America currency.
But most people are pulled to the black coat that he was wearing when he was killed as well as the blood-stained pillowcase from the Peterson House across the street.
The collection also comprises of items owned by the other conspirators, including Dr. Samuel Mudd's medical kit used by the doctor when setting Booth's broken leg when Booth paid a visit shortly after shooting the president.
Many people are surprised to find out that Lincoln's top hat he wore that evening as well as the rocking chair he was sitting in are not at Ford's Theatre, rather they are at museums across the US.
PRO TIP: If you are purchasing a ticket for a live performance at the theater, you will likely have access to the museum after the show.
MAIN THEATER
Still the primary focus of the visitor experience to Ford's Theatre, the main theater is usually the first thing people see (unless their ticket includes the museum) when they enter the campus.
Following the assassination of Lincoln, Ford's Theater ceased operating as a theater.
It was purchased by the U.S. government and turned into administrative offices until it was returned to use as a theater.
As a result, the entire main theater is a reconstruction based on the original building blueprints.
Despite not being original, the feel is still very authentic.
Of course, nothing beats our Lincoln Assassination Walking Tour.
Inside Lincoln's Box
One experience you won't have is viewing the VIP box where Abraham Lincoln and his party were enjoying Our American Cousin.
PETERSON HOUSE -
As mentioned above, all tickets to Ford's Theater include access to the Peterson House across the street from the theater itself.
Lincoln was brought here after being shot when the doctors attending to him felt that he could not survive the almost 1-mile journey to the White House on DC's muddy and bumpy roads.
Owned by William Peterson, a tailor who was contracted out by the U.S. War Department to make military uniforms.
Like other homeowners with spare rooms, Peterson rented out several rooms to boarders.
When one of these boarders noticed soldiers carrying a wounded man during a huge commotion, this border called for the man to be brought into the house.
Lincoln was brought to a back room, which you will see, and laid down on a bed, a bed that was too short for Lincoln's 6' 4" (2 m) long frame.
Those attending to him had to lay him down diagonally so that he would fit.
In a disturbing irony, this same bed had been reportedly used by Booth for a nap 1 month earlier when the assassin visited fellow actor and friend Charles Warwick, who was renting the room.
PRO TIP: If you are traveling during peak season and your ticket includes a ranger talk, be sure to position yourself toward the rear of the theater so that you will be among the first people to line up for entry to the Peterson House.
This line could take up to 30 minutes to filter through, and you don't want to be standing for very long in the hot and humid DC summer.
Alternatively, you could revisit the museum and wait out the line.
EDUCATION CENTER
After you've visited the bottom floor of Peterson's House, you have two choices.
For a quick exit, take the glass door in the back and down the stairs. You'll exit out the front of Peterson's House underneath the stairs.
But if you have time, make good use of the continued exhibits in the Education Center. Think of it as an epilogue to the story of Lincoln's assassination.
The Center for Education & Leadership is accessible by an elevator next to the room where Lincoln died. Take it to the 4th floor to begin at the top and work your way down.
Aftermath Gallery
On this top floor, you will learn about what happened after Lincoln's death. John Wilkes Booth was on the run for nearly two weeks.
In this gallery, follow in his footsteps and see a replica of the wooden slats of the barn where he was killed by a Union soldier.
Legacy Gallery
There is a reason visitors come from all over the world to pay respects to President Lincoln.
Learn about how he has influenced and inspired generations. Videos bring Lincoln to life with remixes and pop culture references to our 16th president.
Leadership Gallery
As of July 2016, this special exhibit hall focuses on Lincoln through the lens of one of his most valued traits, his leadership skills.
See examples of men and women who exemplify this trait from around the world.
As you walk between the floors, you'll descend a spiral staircase that wraps around one of the most unique and probably most Instagrammed features.
A 34-foot (10.3m) tall tower of books that represents 205 real titles of books written about Abraham Lincoln.
They are not real books but are made out of aluminum with the front covers of the books printed on to display 6500 "books" stacked up to the top floor of the building.
PLAYS AND PERFORMANCES AT FORD'S THEATRE
Ford’s Theatre is a working theatre and the chance to see world-class theatrical performances in a unique historical setting is one of the perks of visiting Washington, D.C.!
Be sure to check Ford’s performance schedule and consider attending a show there - and if you visit during the Christmas holidays, you must see A Christmas Carol!
Ticket prices for most plays range from $25-38 - a great deal for the quality of the shows.
During the spring and summer, Ford’s Theatre presents a special one-act play called One Destiny, which explores the key facts of the assassination through the eyes of those who witnessed it!
The play is ideal for families with children ages eight and up - it really brings history to life.
Other plays and musicals run several weeks at a time throughout the year. Ford's Theatre has a performance season similar to regular working theatres.
PRO TIP: If you want a good view of the President's Box, select seats in the Left Orchestra (but not too far back) or in the Left Balcony.
However, you will have a chance before, during intermission, and after the play to get out of your seat and get a good photo of the President's Box.
You can visit the Museum while at a play at Ford's Theatre!
The Ford's Theatre Museum is open one hour before performance time and during intermission.
Your performance ticket can also be used to visit the Petersen House before 5:00 p.m.
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