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| Locations: President Lincoln's Cottage (Point A); Ford Theatre (Point B); Lincoln Restaurant (Point C); Lincoln Memorial (Point D) |
1. President Lincoln's Cottage
- Explore the Visitor Education Center galleries and exhibits to learn about the Lincoln's life at the cottage
- Walk around the cottage and view the life size sculpture of Abraham Lincoln and his horse
- If interested, pay in advance for a one hour tour inside the cottage (while not furnished, it is an amazing thing to realize that you are standing in the place where President Lincoln lived with his family, entertained guests, met with Cabinet members, wrote the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, and spent his last full day before being assassinated)
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| Statue of Abraham Lincoln Outside of Cottage |
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| President Lincoln's Cottage |
- Visit the location where President Lincoln was assassinated
- In advance, pay to reserve tickets for the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site (entrance is free; however, a reserved ticket guarantees admission, which is especially important during busy seasons)
- Walk through a museum highlighting President Lincoln's time in office (you can pay extra for an audio tour which will give additional information regarding various sections of the museum; however, I only recommend this if the Ranger Talk in the Theatre is being not offered)
- Sit in the Theatre and listen to a presentation by a National Park Service Ranger (if not offered, listen to the audio tour presentation which will explain the events leading up to the evening's performance, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the aftermath)
- Stop and look inside the Presidential Box
- Walk across the street to the Peterson House to see where President Lincoln died
- As you exit, take a moment in the Center for Education and Leadership to discover and appreciate the impact of President Lincoln's life
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| Ford's Theatre (Original Theatre on the Right) |
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| Presidential Box |
- Eat at a nice D.C. restaurant, whose decor honors President Lincoln
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| Lincoln Restaurant |
- End your day at the Lincoln Memorial, an enduring symbol of freedom
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| Lincoln Memorial |
This is a day-trip that is easily altered to fit the
travelers. Those who are on a
tighter budget can enjoy these historical sites while spending very little
money; while those who don’t stress about pinching pennies can spend a little
more for more information. Those
who are interested in history can revel in the places Lincoln walked and in the
displays honoring his accomplishments for hours, or you can take the fast-track
by skimming through the details and focusing on the main events.
Parking is free at Lincoln’s Cottage. Start your day at the Visitor Education
Center. In addition to the
important information the center provides, you’ll also find restrooms, water
fountains, and a small but very nicely stocked gift shop. If you choose to take the tour of the
house, you may find it a little stuffy as some of those on the tour with
us. Don’t let this distract you
from enjoying the engaging tour; utilize the fans that are provided near the
entryway.
Ford’s Theater has been open to the public since 1968, but
in 2009 the expansion and re-designed museum was introduced. If you visited the theater prior to
2009, the changes make it worth another visit. A park ranger told us that the average person spends
approximately 40 minutes in the museum.
We paid for the audio tour and spent over an hour and a half in the
museum. Before you spend the money
for the audio tour, make sure you are able and want to be there for that length
of time. You can save a little
money by not reserving your admission tickets in advance, but you’ll have to early
to the theater (8:30 am) to get them that day and there’s no guarantee you’ll
be able to get the tickets for the time you want. Your tickets also allow you into the Peterson House and the
Center for Education, but you cannot go to those buildings until after the time
your ticket states. There is
plenty of shopping nearby if you find yourself with a little time to kill
before your admission time. There
is paid parking right next to the theater. The visitor center of the museum also has restrooms and a
gift shop.
Lincoln Restaurant is a really fun environment. The small plate serving style allows
you to enjoy a variety of dishes, rather than a huge portion of only one dish.
Our server recommended that our party of two order 3 – 5 plates to begin with
and order more later on if we were still hungry. We ordered 3 and were completely satisfied. There is paid parking right next to the
restaurant, but if you prefer to walk from the Ford Theater, it’ll take you
about 20 minutes.
If you go to the Lincoln Memorial, plan to walk quite a bit
as there is not parking very close to the monument. A round trip walk from either the Ford Theater or Lincoln Restaurant
is only 2.5 miles. Or if you
prefer to drive closer, the National Park Service recommends parking along Ohio
Drive. There’s more to the
monument than the famous steps and statue of Lincoln: you’ll find information
and exhibits inside as well. Enter
that exhibit from the ground level using the door to the left of the
stairs. If you get there around
the time of the sunset, you’ll enjoy a beautiful view.
