One of the most commonly asked questions we hear is, “Why is there a portrait of George Washington decorating the Presidential Box?” Read on to find out more!

In our modern political climate, how should a program about Reconstruction and Civil War Memory adapt to meet the needs of teachers and museum educators? Explore what we've learned by running The Seat of War and Peace, a Ford’s Theatre summer program for teachers.

In 1956, Samuel J. Seymour appeared on the hit T.V. show “I’ve Got A Secret,” claiming to be the last living witness to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. But, how true is his story? 

As part of our commitment to accessibility, Ford’s Theatre recently partnered with the Smithsonian Institution to host a sensory-friendly Morning at the Museum. We built on the lessons learned through our sensory-friendly performance of The Wiz to make our museum easily accessible to those with sensory sensitivities.

The first person you likely associate with Ford’s Theatre is Abraham Lincoln or John Wilkes Booth. Depending on your level of history nerdiness, you might also know Major Rathbone, Clara Harris, Ned Spangler or John T. Ford. But, one name you probably do not associate with our hallowed theatre is Basil Lockwood. I know I didn’t, until I did some research.

As Membership Manager, Diane Barber gets to see first-hand how Ford's Theatre donors connect with President Lincoln's legacy. She has found that these 10 Lincoln quotes speak to folks from across the United States.

Jake Flack, Associate Director of Museum Education, reflects on how the Civil War affected the economy of his hometown of Washington, D.C. 

Fashion and audience manners have changed quite a bit since the Ford’s Theatre of Lincoln’s time. Discover what’s different.

How do you view the Lincoln assassination? Was it the conclusion to the Civil War or the beginning of Reconstruction? Students today need a deeper understanding of the Lincoln assassination regarding the years of Reconstruction that followed. Read more to find out how teachers can reframe their teaching of the events at Ford's Theatre to connect them to the fight for equality today. 

Three years after launching our Remembering Lincoln digital collection, we share lessons learned and continuing questions about collection-building, building a refined end-product versus citizen history project, defining audiences, challenges of scale, and how this project has refined our storytelling approach.