Young children stand behind and a railing and look at a tower of books.

Photo by Gary Erskine.

Field Trips

Plan a historic site visit to learn about the events of April 14, 1865, and the lasting impact of Lincoln’s assassination on our nation.

During a field trip to Ford’s Theatre, students can

Tour the historic theatre and museum
See the box where President Lincoln was shot
Illuminate personal stories of many individuals in and around Civil War Washington
Reveal the fate of the assassination conspirators, and the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth
Explore Lincoln’s complex legacy

Free Field Trip Program

To qualify for the Free Field Trip Program, your school must be a:

D.C. Public School, D.C. Chartered Public School; or
D.C., Maryland and Virginia Title 1 school or school with 40% or more student eligible for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs); or
Title 1 school or school with 40% or more students eligible for FARMS outside the D.C. metro area

To receive free bus transportation, schools must:

Be eligible for free group tickets (see above) and
Be located within the 495 Capital Beltway

Book a Free Field Trip

Don’t Qualify for the Free Field Trip Program? Discounted tickets are available through Group Sales.

Group Sales

Be sure to check out our Welcome Back page for up-to-date health and safety guidelines:

Visit Ford’s Virtually

Request a live, interactive Virtual Field Trip to bring Ford’s Theatre’s many stories into your classroom wherever you are.

Virtual Field Trips

School Field Trip

Things to Do

Explore These Topics

A group of four children talk while looking at an exhibit in the Ford's Theatre Museum.

Explore Museum

In our museum, explore exhibits about the Civil War and Lincoln’s presidency. View artifacts from the assassination conspiracy.

Historic Theatre

Inside the historic theatre, see the President’s Box and learn about the night of the assassination.

Petersen House

In the Petersen House, learn about who surrounded Lincoln during his final hours.

Aftermath Exhibits

In the Aftermath Exhibits, you can see how the nation mourned Lincoln, follow the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and discover the lasting impact of Lincoln’s legacy.

Before You Visit Resources

Teacher Dialogic Toolkit

Resource

This toolkit is intended to be used by teachers to get their students thinking and talking about some of the things they will see at Ford’s.

Learn More

Virtual Tour

Take an interactive virtual tour of Ford’s Theatre to explore exhibitions about the Lincoln assassination conspirators, the historic theatre and the Petersen House.

Explore

Inside the Ford’s Theatre Museum, two television screens display close-up images of Abraham Lincoln’s face. The screens are embedded in a display that is a large-scale photograph of the partially constructed U.S. Capitol dome taken during the Civil War. In front of the display are three white columns, designed to evoke the Capitol. Behind the display is a model of the partially constructed dome.

Student Led Museum Tour

The Ford’s Theatre Museum combines a remarkable collection of historic artifacts with a variety of exhibits to tell the story of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency. Explore Lincoln’s Presidential cabinet, what life was like in the Lincoln White House, the road to emancipation, and the assassination conspiracy.

Watch

Video Series with a Historian

Follow Dr. Matthew Pinsker, Professor at Dickinson College, in this nine-part video series as he shows you around the museum, theatre, Petersen House and Aftermath Exhibits. Learn more about the events of April 14, 1865, to prepare for your trip.

Watch

Teaching Lincoln’s Assassination & Legacy

Lesson Plans

Explore the life, leadership, death and legacy of Abraham Lincoln through primary sources and ready to use lesson plans developed by our education department and master teachers.

Learn More