A girl explores a virtual tour of Ford’s Theatre on a tablet computer.
Photo by Trisha Goins.

Digital Reach

We share Lincoln’s legacy with people from around the world.

And donors like you make that possible. When students take a virtual field trip or participate in our distance-learning programs, your support ensures we provide access to those who can’t physically visit the historic site. When online visitors examine Lincoln’s clothing in our web-based interactive, you are helping us give an up-close view of precious artifacts. And when citizens from across the world connect through our social media efforts, you are enabling us to share Lincoln’s inspirational example with current and future generations.

Our Digital Reach

Through our redesigned website, distance-learning programming and social media efforts, we connect with people across the globe. In the last year, we reached:

Red circle on which the words "more than 1M web users" is written.
A red circle on which the words "More than 53k followers" is written.
A red circle on which the words "205 countries" has been written.

Our Digital Impact

The Power of Digital

Ford’s Theatre uses the power of digital to reach millions of people around the world. On the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, we turned a two-day event in Washington into an international moment of remembrance. Each year, we continue to build on and expand our digital offerings, bringing Lincoln into classrooms and homes across the country.

Special Lincoln Tribute

Actors in modern dress stand on the stage of Ford's Theatre singing. The rear of the stage is set up to resemble the interior of a house.

Ford’s Theatre uses the power of digital to reach millions of people around the world. On the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, we turned a two-day event in Washington into an international moment of remembrance. Each year, we continue to build on and expand our digital offerings, bringing Lincoln into classrooms and homes across the country.

Virtual Field Trip

A girl explores a virtual tour of Ford’s Theatre on a tablet computer.

In partnership with Discovery Education, we enable classrooms nationwide to virtually visit our site. Launched in 2015, the Virtual Field Trip allowed students to engage directly with our staff, deepening their understanding of the events surrounding Lincoln’s assassination. In its first year alone, the virtual experience had more than 700,000 viewers and 4.3 million impressions on Twitter.

Thank you, Ford’s Theatre, for posting so much during the event to make it feel as if those of us who were thousands of miles away were actually there.

– Facebook Fan Seth Tubman on #Fords150 Events
A student in a face mask participates in an online meeting. They look at a screen in which a group of other students are appearing in windows.
Photo by Allison Shelley.

Google Arts and Culture Exhibits

In partnership with Google, we’re making our hi-res images of precious artifacts more widely accessible to a global audience. Our online exhibits had more than 50,000 views.

An actor stands dressed as an 1860s detective, holding a notepad. Behind him on a brick wall is posted a reward poster for the capture of Lincoln's assassin.
Photo by Gary Erskine.

Virtual Investigation with Detective McDevitt

In this interactive, theatrical program, participants will interact with historical characters portrayed by an actor, examine primary source images and hear witness statements. 

A small handheld derringer on a grey background.
Photo courtesy of Ford’s Theatre.

Online Lincoln Assassination Content

In December 2016, we launched a redesigned website featuring exploratory, interactive content related to the Lincoln assassination. In its first six months, this content has had over 76,000 pageviews.

A mourning ribbon for President Lincoln with his portrait, birth and death dates in the center. Surrounding the portrait are small American flags. Hanging from the bottom are blue and hello ribbons and two decorative tassels.
Ford’s Theatre Collection.

Digital Collection

To mark the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination, we have worked with more than 40 partners across the country to create a digital collection of personal responses to the Lincoln assassination. To date, the collection has had more than 97,000 pageviews.

Elementary school student performing her speech behind a podium on stage at Ford’s Theatre.
National Oratory Fellow Student Delegate, 2012.

Lincoln Online Oratory Project

Through this distance-learning program, students experience the power of oratory. Using the words of President Lincoln, students learn the historical context of a speech and the fundamentals of performance and public speaking. Launched in 2015, this program has served more than 462 students from 11 states.

A brown circle on which the words "33.2K Facebook" are written above the facebook symbol.
A brown circle on which the words "15.1K Twitter" are written above the twitter symbol.
A brown circle on which the words "1,450 Instagram" are written above the Instagram symbol.
A brown circle on which the words "1,008 YouTube" are written above the YouTube symbol.