Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, Historic theatre and museum in Washington, D.C., United States.
Ford's Theatre is a working theater building in central Washington, D.C., that also serves as a memorial site connected to the Lincoln assassination. The complex includes the Petersen House across the street, where Lincoln died after being shot, along with additional exhibit spaces housed in neighboring structures.
The venue opened in August 1863 as an entertainment house during the Civil War and quickly drew audiences. On April 14, 1865, actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln during a performance, an event that caused national mourning and closed the building for decades.
The theater is named for John T. Ford, who converted a former Baptist church into a playhouse in 1861 and rebuilt it after an 1862 fire. Each March the Abraham Lincoln Institute holds a symposium here, and the presidential box is never occupied.
The theater sits within walking distance of several metro stations and offers elevator access as well as wheelchair seating in the auditorium. Visitors sensitive to sensory input can inquire about adapted visiting hours when lighting and sound are adjusted.
In the basement below the stage, displays show personal items from Lincoln's final evening, including clothing and small notes. Virtual-reality stations let visitors experience testimony from people who were present that night and witnessed the president's last hours.
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