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? 

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.

In our third and final prototyping sprint on the Ford’s campus, we twice built on a previous concept: character cards representing historical figures whose stories patrons follow through the exhibit. Since the cards were highly successful in terms of engagement, the D.R.A.F.T. team is now looking at how to implement this idea.

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.

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.

When writing an essay on Lincoln’s assassination, it can be hard to know where to begin. But Ford’s Theatre has the solution! Fords.org is a great place to find primary sources on the fateful evening of April 14, 1865. 

Learn how Ford's is integrating Virtual Reality into our visitor's experience and how you can try it from home or on site!

Learn about the history of the theatrical phenomenon The American Dance Machine, see photos from the 1978 world premiere at Ford’s Theatre and discover how the show lives on.