Student Matinees
Ford’s Theatre offers weekday student matinees and accompanying lessons plans to deepen students’ connection to and understanding of the theatre arts. Our theatrical productions spotlight the depth and breadth of the American experience and offer meaningful connections to classroom learning. Bring your students to a matinee and they will experience art that gives them a new perspective on life!
A limited number of free tickets are available to Washington D.C. area public schools, Title I schools, and schools that have 40 percent or more students eligible for FARMs. Schools located within the Capital Beltway may also qualify for free bus transportation.
If you are outside of the D.C. metro area or if your school does not qualify for free tickets, student groups of 10 or more can book tickets at a discounted rate through our group sales team. Tickets can be reserved through ou Group Sales Office.
All D.C. metro area educators are welcome to register for 1776 Teacher Teacher Preview Workshop during the application window. The Teacher Preview for 1776 will take place on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Mark your calendars!
Applications are now open for the 1776 Student Matinee Program — reserve your tickets today!
1776
This celebrated American musical offers a lively, thought-provoking look at the founding fathers’ struggle to shape a new nation. As members of the Second Continental Congress debate independence, figures like John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson wrestle with questions of freedom, justice and compromise. The show invites the audience to explore how those early arguments helped define America—and how those same ideas continue to shape our identity today. Filled with humor, heart and history, 1776 brings the story of our nation’s beginnings vividly to life.
A limited number of free tickets are available to qualifying schools.