Come along on this family-friendly tour to meet the characters, walk the streets, and see the buildings where this great drama played out in the Lincoln Assassination.
We cannot arrange visits to Ford's Theatre but are happy to help you figure out which tour works best to join both our Lincoln Assassination Walking Tour and visit Ford's Theatre.
Ford's Theatre will not allow us to purchase tickets for our guests. Large international corporations offer this without issue from the theatre, but I hope you'll still support our local, woman-owned company instead by taking our tour and asking us for advice on how to get tickets yourself.
TOUR DESCRIPTION
"The South wants justice, has waited for it long. She will wait no longer" - John Wilkes Booth
It was a night that changed the history of a nation forever.
Journey back in time with your guide to learn about the three-pronged attack designed to decapitate the U.S. Government.
Shrouded in mystery, intrigue, and conspiracy, the assassination of the 16th U.S. president has fascinated Americans and foreigners for more than 150 years.
Sights on the tour on the Lincoln Assassination Tour :
This tour will take you minute by minute through the last day of the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln.
You will meet the conspirators who were desperately trying to save the Confederate cause in the dying days of the Civil War. There were to be three attacks that night. This tour unfolds as a story filled with suspense, intrigue, and espionage.
The trajectory of this nation was changed on one night in a small family run theater when President Lincoln was assassinated. What lead up that moment? Who was behind this coordinated plot?
The entire story is stranger than fiction and on this two hour walking tour you will trace the steps of the killers and learn all about this dark night. It is a story filled with intrigue, mystery and betrayal. Join this family friendly tour and see why this is one of our highest rated tours in Washington.
Sites you will see on the tour:
- Walk past the White House and Lafayette Square, setting the stage for the tumultuous events that followed.
- Visit the very site of Secretary of State Seward's attempted assassination and learn how it was part of a larger, coordinated plot.
- Hear about the original kidnapping plot and its transformation into one of America's most infamous nights.
- See the US Treasury Building, which acted as the temporary White House after Lincoln's Assassiantion.
- Walk down Pennsylvania Ave NW and imagine Civil War era 1860s Washington DC
- See landmarks like the National Theatre and the site of Kirkwood House Hotel, tied to the Vice President’s attempted assassination.
- Relive the odd and tragic personal stories surrounding Lincoln’s family.
- Witness the exteriors of Ford's Theatre and Peterson's Boarding House, where Lincoln took his final breath.
- Hear the fascinating details of Baptist Alley, the conspirators’ escape route, and stand in awe at the places where these dramatic events unfolded.
You'll learn about the events that led up to the attempted assassination of the Secretary of State and the Vice President, as well as the assassination of President Lincoln. Following in his footsteps from the White House to Ford's Theatre to Peterson's Boarding House, where he took his final breath.
Get to see historic photos of the original buildings as you walk and get a glimpse into 1865 Washington.
This is a exterior only walking tour. We do not enter any buildings on this tour.
Please note that we do not enter any buildings on this tour.
Tickets are required to tour the historic sites of Ford's Theatre (see full post) and Peterson's Boarding House. If you book a private tour with us, we may be able to help arrange tickets inside Ford's Theater to coincide with your tour.
Tour Information
Where: The tour begins at St. John's Church, the yellow-column church at the corner of 16th and H St NW across the street from Lafayette Square.
Look for your guide with the DC by Foot logo. Tour ends at Fords Theater (we do not enter but are happy to help you get tickets for the self guided tour offered by Ford's Theatre.)
Duration: Approximately 2 hours. Total distance 1m (1.6k)
Cost: This is a small group (10-12 people) ticketed tour with rates from $39.00. While you may see more spots available, we sometimes run this tour with multiple guides.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Tours are rain or shine. In the event of adverse weather, we will email and text with alternative options or offer a refund.
If you need to cancel, please reply to your confirmation email. We hope you don't have to but if you cannot attend the tour, we can only offer a refund with 24 hours' notice before the start of the tour. After that time frame, we are unable to refund. Guests who booked via a third party ticketing site must cancel via the platform they booked on.
We offer a flexible rescheduling option and are often able to accommodate you on another tour with even short notice if a comparable tour is running during your visit!