On April 14th, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while watching a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington DC. His killer, an actor named John Wilkes Booth who sympathised with the Confederates in the ongoing Civil War, then jumped to the stage and shouted "Sic simper tyrannis" (Thus to all tyrants) before fleeing the theatre. The US Government bought the theatre and prohibited it from use as an amusement venue. It was used for various storage and clerical purposes until it was restored and reopened for performances in 1968. Today, Ford's Theatre is both an active performance venue and historical site, and the Ford's Theatre Museum contains artefacts related to the assassination, including the Derringer pistol Booth used. Across from the theatre is the Petersen House, which is where President Lincoln finally died early the next morning.

Address: 10th Street NW

E-mail: onstage@fordstheatre.org

Website: www.fordstheatre.org

Telephone: (202) 426-6924

Opening times: Open 9am-4:30pm. The theatre may be excluded from tours when rehearsals are in progress.

Admission: A limited number of free tickets are available daily, advance tickets are $2.50.