The author’s husband, Hal Marzell, in Ford’s Theatre, standing before the balcony where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865

I’m sure that many teachers would agree that one of the best methods of experiential learning is travel. And one of the most rewarding destinations for travel is Washington, DC, our nation’s capital city. There are many worthwhile museums and historical sites to visit in the city, and one of the most interesting is Ford’s Theatre.

Students of history will recall that Ford’s Theatre is the scene of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. Lincoln was there watching a performance of the play Our American Cousin, when the actor John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box, aimed his gun, and fired. Booth was a Confederate sympathizer, and was incensed at the surrender of the Confederacy just a few days before. The assassin then leaped from the box down to the stage and escaped through a rear door. The mortally wounded president was carried across the street to the Petersen House, where he died the following morning.

Today, both the Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site and the Petersen House are part of the National Park Service. More than 650,000 visitors visit the site each year. Located within, students can view the Presidential Box where the assassination occurred, restored to the way it was on that fateful night. Visitors can also explore museum exhibits that depict Lincoln’s presidency, Civil War milestones, the events that led up to the assassination, and the aftermath. Students can also take at look at significant historic artifacts, including the pistol used to kill the president, the clothes he was wearing on the night he was assassinated, and Lincoln’s life masks.

Students and teachers who are unable to travel to Washington, DC, could learn more about this important historical site by examining the Ford’s Theatre website. You could also examine the Ford’s Theatre virtual tour. There are also some terrific resources for teachers available on the website.

Whether you visit Ford’s Theatre in person or online, I bid you happy learning!