Lincoln’s Washington

See the Union capital and learn about the Civil War, visiting sites that show the personal toll of the conflict on President Abraham Lincoln and many others.

President Lincoln StatueStart your day at President Lincoln’s Cottage, to understand Washington in the 1860’s as Lincoln saw it. From his experience as commander in chief to time spent with his family, Lincoln’s Cottage shows the world through Lincoln’s eyes at his favorite summer retreat.

The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers OfficeTravel from Lincoln’s summer home to Clara Barton’s — the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office. Tour the boardinghouse rooms where Clara Barton lived and worked during and after the Civil War. While there, you can see how Lincoln’s decisions affected ordinary individuals.

From the Missing Soldiers Office, walk down the street to Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln fell victim to an assassin’s bullet in April 1865. Visit the theater and the nearby boardinghouse, the Petersen House, where he succumbed to his wounds. Exhibits there explore the assassination, its aftermath, and Lincoln’s enduring legacy.

Want More?

End your day at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum to meet all forty-four US Presidents and other famous people you’ve been dying to meet.

Or, take in a play at Ford’s Theatre. The historic site reopened as both a museum and a theater in 1968. Taking in one of their top-notch productions, with the Presidential box in your peripheral vision is a surreal and memorable experience.