Ford's Theatre
- Washington, DC
photo: Ingfbruno CC BY-SA 3.0
Why go there?
Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. is most famous for being the site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. The 56-year-old Lincoln was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth while attending a performance of Our American Cousin at the theater. He was then carried across the street to the Petersen House, where he died the next morning. The theater and the Petersen House are now preserved together as Ford's Theatre National Historic Site. The site is open to the public for tours and educational programs. It is a somber reminder of one of the darkest moments in American history.
