Due to temporary construction, the Petersen House and Aftermath Exhibits will be closed on Friday, December 6.

Image of wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth and his fellow conspirators.
Courtesy of the National Parks Service.

Manhunt for Booth

After he murdered President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth was nowhere to be found. Where did he go?

Booth’s meticulous planning for his getaway worked, but only for so long. The most wanted man in the United States, with a $100,000 reward on his head, evaded capture for 12 days. Booth escaped out the back door of Ford’s Theatre. He jumped onto a rented horse he had left there and rode frantically out of Washington. Booth made his way into Maryland, where he met up with David Herold. Where did the two go next? How did investigators learn of their whereabouts? Follow their trail below.

The Night of the Assassination

Follow John Wilkes Booth and David Herold as they tried to escape justice.

The Chase

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Black and white photograph of Abraham Lincoln. Written on top of him is "When one man died because he believed in"