Night of Lincoln Assassination: from White House to Ford Theatre

Nicknamed the Church of the Presidents, we start our tour here to get an overview of Washington DC in the 1860s; understanding the events that led to this fateful night. (We do not enter any buildings on this tour)

The tour will begin with an introduction to President Lincoln's final months in the White House. New characters will be introduced as we explore the historic row houses that surround the park.

We talk about Abraham Lincoln's presidency during the Civil War and his final speech; given at the White House in the presence of his later assassin, John Wilkes Booth. (We do not enter any buildings on this tour)

Walk past the US Treasury Building, which acted as the temporary White House after Lincoln's Assassiantion.

On the day of the assassination, John Wilkes Booth stopped by this theater and met with a friend. Later that evening, Lincoln's son Tad was at this theater watching a play: Aladdin or his Wonderful Lamp. (We do not enter any buildings on this tour)

Across from this grand old building was the location of the Kirkwood House Hotel. This is where Vice President Andrew Johnson stayed. Conspirator George Azerodt rented a room here and was given the job to attack Johnson that same night... (We do not enter any buildings on this tour)

Learn about America's Main Street as you walk through downtown Washington DC, following in the foot steps of Presidential Inaugural Parades and how the residents of Civil War Washington DC traversed the city.

This is the historic theater where John Wilkes Booth snuck up behind the President like a coward and fired that fateful shot. Today it is a working theater and it has been restored to his Civil War era grandeur. Millions of Americans visit this location every year to remember Lincoln and his legacy. (We do not enter any buildings on this tour)

This small and simple historic row house was a boarding house at the time of the Civil War. After Lincoln was shot, he was taken to a room on the first floor of this house while the doctors attended to his health. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton interviewed witnesses here that night. Robert Todd Lincoln arrived from the White House and stayed by his father's side all night. It was a sad procession early the next morning when they finally brought the President's lifeless body down the steps for his carriage journey back to the White House. (We do not enter any buildings on this tour)

The original alley behind Ford's Theatre through which John Wilkes Booth escaped after the assassination. Ask your tour guide to tell you about it and you can walk there after the tour! It is open to the public and you can see some original buildings.