Ford’s Theatre and Petersen House

Ford's Theatre Washington DC

Did you know that when President Lincoln was laying in a bed suffering from his gunshot wound, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton established a command center in the back parlor of the Petersen House?  This is where he began the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and he also prepared the oath of succession for Vice President Andrew Johnson. (1)  On our trip to Washington D.C., we bought tickets online to visit the Ford’s Theatre and The Petersen House.  In this blog, I will give you some tips on how to book your tickets and what you can expect when visiting the historical sights.

If you are planning a trip for your family to visit Ford’s Theatre, buy your tickets online.  The tickets are $3.00 per person.  If you show up the day of, you will most likely be disappointed because the tickets sell out very early.  The day that we went, there were at least three buses with private tours and class trips.

Our ticket included a self-guided tour of the museum.  Once you walk in for your tour, you walk into a section that is the museum.  We walked around the large room at our own pace.  The Park Ranger called us after thirty minutes and opened the doors for the Ford’s Theatre seating area.  He gave us a presentation that detailed the last days and hours of President Lincoln's life and the events that led to John Wilkes Booth shooting him.  The presentation kept all our attention, including my toddlers.  If your toddler or baby gets fussy, you can go out to the waiting area directly outside the theatre doors.

As soon as we were done with the presentation, we walked across the street to the Petersen House.  We saw the room and bed where Lincoln died.  Upstairs there is a museum with memorabilia of President Lincoln’s funeral.  This area is called the Aftermath Exhibit.  We saw articles and memorabilia of the aftermath of the assassination, and how they hunted John Wilkes Booth.  Also, the aftermath and impact that Lincoln’s legacy left for the United States.  There is a library and small gift shop that has souvenirs and books for sale, before you exit the building.

After the tour, it was time for lunch.  We heard about a great pizza place called We the Pizza.  The address is 305 Pennsylvania Ave. If you are a fan of the show Top Chef or Iron Chef America, you will recognize the owner, Spike Mendelsohn.  We the Pizza is a New York style pizza restaurant that sells it by the pie or slice.  We ordered the cheese pizza pie and it was delicious.  All of us enjoyed the pizza and we will definitely stop by again the next time we are in the area.

Visiting the Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House was a fascinating and educational experience.   I really got a sense of how President Lincoln’s legacy impacted our nation.  I hope you take the time to visit Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen house the next time you are in Washington D.C.  Do you have plans to go there soon?  Leave a comment below.

(1) fords.org